Lucy the Lioness
by TheaSong956
Summary: Lucy, now seventeen, is still ruling Narnia during the historic Golden Age with her siblings. But, feeling left out by her older brothers and sister and wanting to prove her worth, she sets out on her own to thwart the threat that now opposes her beloved homeland. Accompanying her is the goofy, clumsy, rookie castle guard Sender. Will Lucy be able to be triumphant? LucyxOC
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: After spending a long time reading a lot of great Narnia fanfics, I thought I'd give it a try! I know i'm taking a big risk by writing _two _multichapter fanfics at the same time, but it's up to you readers whether you want me to continue with this story or not. If you're not fans of it, I'll keep it as a single chapter fanfic. If you like it, I'll keep writing. If any of you out there are also the Legend of Zelda fans, check out my other story titled _Dragonflies! _What also made made me want to write a fanfiction for Narnia is that I absolutely love the series! And I hope that this chapter really captures the aspects of the books that you love! _

Chapter 1

_Tenth Year of Pevencie Rule During the Golden Ages..._

They were hosting a ball. Just for the pure fun of it. Sometimes, when palace life became too boring, the siblings threw a party. Peter often explained (though it was more of an excuse than a reason) that having healthy contact with diplomats and nobles from the surrounding nations of Calormen and Archenland was good for the safety of the nation.

Except, due to Susan's meddling, their little get together turned into a grand and luxurious ball.

It was in the ballroom, of course, a huge room made of the same sandy colored stone. It was the size of those American football fields and twice as tall. There were huge, monstrously thick marble pillars that rose up to the glass roof, and giant sashes made of red and gold silk dipped and soared around them. Behind the pillars were two hallways, one on each respective side of the room, where the many party goers of Narnian, Calormenian, and Archenlander descent alike gossiped, discussed politics, and nibbled on the fine cuisine. At the very end of the hall was a giant entryway for the guests to come through. At the other end of the room stood a small platform of stone where four metal thrones sat, each the same height. Hanging from the glass ceiling were two huge chandeliers, their warm glow comforting the guests as well as allowing them to see the dance floor, where one hundred or so people of all races in glittering gowns and fancy suits danced to eloquent music provided by a native orchestra.

Susan had been so excited. "I've had just about enough of all of our little play-dates!" The second oldest of the four declared.

Peter, sitting in the head chair at the breakfast table, or breakfast buffet table, rolled his head lazily towards his younger sister, black hair hanging over his eyes. "Hm?" He groaned, not yet equipped for the morning.

Susan, ever the civilized lady, was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed already, and she pressed her hands down on the mahogany and stated, "I'm going to plan this time! You and Ed did a dreadful job!"

Edmund stopped mid-chew to glare at his elder sister. "We did fine." He retorted nonchalantly.

Susan arched a perfectly shaped dark eyebrow at her brother. She flipped her braid, which was down to her feet, over her shoulder and coolly replied, "You were the one that let that Minotaur near the punch bowl."

Edmund and Peter glanced at each other and exchanged triumphant smiles. The punch happened to spill all over the wife of a Calormenian warlord, and they, with their dark auras, stormed out of the building.

"This is no joke! This time I will not allow our family name to be disgraced..._again._" She ground out. And with that, the twenty one-year-old queen went to work. And she created the most extravagant party any royal family anywhere had ever seen. With careful planning, logic, and calculations, she made it appear as if from a story book.

And this made the young, seventeen-year-old Queen Lucy the Valiant grin brightly as she danced and danced in the center of the floor during the solo dances.

While Queen Susan was busy speaking with the many awaiting bachelors, the youngest of the four was also dealing with her own boy troubles. Her long, golden hair shimmered like stardust in the candlelight, her tiny figure twirling and twirling in her priceless tan and golden dress, her white teeth showing as she laughed. She had, as always, this sunny aura about her, that drew people in like the giant yellow star itself. So, the princes of the nearby kingdoms who were too young or unqualified for the Gentle Queen lined up to get a dance with the Valiant Queen. And she gladly took their arms and let them lead her to the dance floor.

Of all of the siblings, Lucy had the least duty and responsibility. In the diplomatic sense, anyways. Peter worked on the overall governing; he focused on laws and very important matters. Susan worked on diplomacy with other nations. Edmund focused on military organization. But Lucy was not involved in any of the official duties.

But her role was important.

She, out of all of the siblings, was the most faithful to the Lion. And she treated her people as he would; with love, kindness, and compassion. She made sure that they were all cared for and happy. And not only that, you would often find her on the battlefield, much to her older brothers' chagrin. She took joy in fiercely protecting the land and the people that Aslan loved.

Her time in Narnia was filled with the most joy. Every moment was pure bliss, much like her moments in the ball.

By the thrones, finished speaking with the generals and ambassadors regarding international relations, was the High King and his brother the Just King, watching their sisters from their place on the platform. Peter, the Magnificent and at the time twenty two-years-old, turned to the second youngest, who was nineteen, and called to his attention,

"Edmund."

The younger turned to the older. "Yes, brother?" He replied.

"Is it just my imagination or is that..."

Edmund followed Peter's line of sight to see that it was who the High King had feared it would be.

Bojan.

The highly celebrated warrior and general of all of the Calormenian armies. From what they had heard from their own forces, Bojan was bloodthirsty, violent, and disrespectful to others he considered "inferior." So unlike the way the four monarchs ruled. Above all though, he was greedy, and in need of a wife. And worse of all, held a dark secret.

And to their annoyance, he had his sights set on Lucy.

She finished the dance with an elegant curtsy when the flute performed it's last trill. Prince after prince kept introducing themselves to her and she had no choice but to dance with each and every one of them. She didn't have the heart to turn any of them down. She would never purposely hurt anyone that was innocent. This prince, a not-so-good looking fellow, waved sheepishly and shuffled away, shoulders hunched.

She giggled at the silly sight.

Fatigued from from the dancing, she started to journey to her throne when a firm hand dropped on her shoulder and held her in place.

Her heart jumped in her throat from surprise and she turned to see who had stopped her.

He was very tall, most likely twenty years old or so. He had the trade-mark dark skin of the Calormenians, for their skin had tanned in the desert sun of their homeland. He had sleek, pitch black hair even darker than Peter's. But what struck her as the most odd was his eyes, which were the color green one would find in a serpent's scale. Wearing a formal suit, and gloves, he looked to be rather wealthy and high in social or government rank.

He was...rather handsome.

His lips parted to reveal rather long incisors and he said, his voice as smooth as chocolate, "May I have this dance, your Majesty?"

From what she heard from her siblings, Narnia and Calormene Empire did not get a long.

"Unwilling to make _any _peace negotiations." Susan screeched.

"They've got a pretty impressive military considering the fact the only thing they do is conquer other lands and fight with everybody." Edmund grumbled.

"A rather unfriendly bunch, but a developed and advanced nation. It's best that we stay on their good side." Peter told her simply.

His tone of voice was not even close to commanding or threatening as she would have imagined, and she turned around to face him, his emerald eyes burning.

He looked...dare she say it...trustworthy.

Gentle.

The music began to play and he let go of her shoulder.

Just as he was about to take her hand to start, another hand wrapped around her waist and she was swept away.

The opposite hand clasped her hand and she blindly grasped the shoulder of whoever had taken her away.

She looked up to see that it was Edmund.

But he was not in the jolly mood she expected him to be. Under blond bangs, his chocolate brown eyes darkened to the color of black coals as he glared dangerously at the Calormenian who'd almost danced with her.

"Ed!" Lucy snapped. They continued to sweep with the music, and he snapped out of it to focus his attention on her. She glared up at her older brother.

"That was very rude of you!" She complained.

The Just King just arched an eyebrow at her.

"May I ask why you were so bold as to take me away from my dancing partner?" She demanded.

Edmund just shook his head at her and remained silent.

She was about to blow a gasket. Even as an seventeen-year-old, already an adult, her older siblings still treated her like a child. They never included her in the loop. They always deemed her too immature to handle the truth, so they kept secrets.

"Edmund." Her voice dropped down an octave as she tried to be as threatening as possible. "I'm getting tired of this. Tell me the truth now!"She snapped in his ear, so as not to make a scene.

He growled before hissing, "You're really annoying, do you know that?"

And an angry Lucy barked back, "Maybe I wouldn't be so annoying if I didn't have to ask what in the world is going on every five minutes!"

He twirled her around before they stepped back into their original dance positions.

She narrowed her eyes as Edmund's dark gaze once again found the Calormenian and continued to glare.

"Look, all you have to do is stay away from that guy, okay?" He declared.

Her chocolate orbs widened angrily. "Why not? On who's orders?" She screeched.

As they spun, their feet twirly expertly on the polished stone floors (for they had done this dance numerous times) Edmund growled, "That man is a Calormenian warlord. Do you know who they are? They're men that lead their military into unsuspecting kingdoms just for the sake of bloodshed and power. They don't stop until there are no survivors left and the land is theirs to take."

He lifted her up, spun her one hundred and eighty degrees around, set her back down, and then explained, "And as for the orders, they're from Pete. And since he's the High King, he can order us around however he wants. So you're being ordered to go and sit next to him where he can keep an eye on you for the rest of the night."

The music finished, and she huffed, puffing out her cheeks like a child and stormed off towards her second, elder brother, whom she was going to direct all of her fury towards.

She was more angry out of principle than anything. She wasn't angry because she wasn't allowed to dance with the Calormenian. She was angry that she was being treated like a child. As a seventeen-year-old, she'd developed a new rebellious streak, and she began to desire more than anything; freedom.

Because for so long, her problems were always dealt with by her siblings. Whatever the case, they'd take care of it for her. But not in the way she wanted it to be taken care of. And she wanted to have the independence to do it herself. She guessed, to wrap it up nicely, that she wanted to gain the trust from her elder siblings that she'd been working so hard to get all these years.

For instance, when she discovered that one of the palace guards, a minotaur, had been operating a slave trading system within Cair Paravel's very walls, she was outraged. Furious. She'd never experienced such blind rage. Because a citizen of Narnia was treating his fellow people as property to make a profit. At that moment, she rushed to Peter and demanded that she and several other guards head over to his post, arrest him, and free the slaves in the castle dungeons. But Peter, although he was just as enraged, had a clear enough head to say to her, "No Lu. You stay here, it's too dangerous. I'll go. Thank you for reporting this to me."

Or when Lucy discovered that somebody had sabotaged the trading negotiations between Narnia and another nation, and how she declared to Susan that she would take a boat to that kingdom immediately and try to settle the issue, and how her elder sister said, "I'm sorry Lucy, but I believe I would be more qualified to settle this. I have more experience, so you just stay home. You've got a good eye, thank you for noticing that."

The younger of her two older brothers was the worst of them all, though.

Edmund, she'd noticed, was particularly overprotective of her.

Why, she knew not. Her other older siblings were that way just because she was the baby of their family. But Edmund was much more serious. She'd hear that he was heading south to keep Calormenians at bay and she'd come riding along with him, eager to protect her homeland and he'd growl, "You're not coming. Go home Lucy." Just like she was a little child incapable of the simplest of tasks.

Was she not also crowned a Queen of Narnia? Was she not in control of the glistening eastern sea? Was her title Queen Lucy the Valiant meaningless? Was she not a part of this government? She wanted more than anything to protect the one place she loved more than anything. She loved Narnia just as Aslan did. And it was unjust to exclude her from protecting this land when she was bestowed the same power as her brothers and sister for that very purpose. Aslan had blessed her with her authority to lead and guide Narnia, and now her elder siblings were keeping her from doing that. And that frustrated her more than anything.

She approached her eldest brother, who was standing tall, arms crossed. He cast her a stern look with his dark brown eyes. She huffed in anger at his controlling ways and flopped ungracefully on her throne, the last one to the left, and watched as Edmund followed. While walking steadily up the stairs he exchanged a mysterious look with Peter before turning his back to her to continue watching the crowd. She could tell that he was only watching one person; glowering menacingly at the "warlord" who had only asked her to dance. There was something else though.

Something that they were hiding.

After her lady's maids had cleaned her up for bed: taken her hair down, washed her face, helped her climb out of her elegant ballgown, kick off her shoes and throw on a white nightgown, she sat on her bed and thought. She decided to wait for all of the footsteps outside her bedroom door to cease. It took a few hours, but the servants soon retired to their living quarters. There were guards posted outside every door, including hers, but they never disobeyed an order, not even from her.

So, she hopped off of her red velvet covered mattress, grabbed a mahogany bedpost with one hand, jumped, used her weight and the post to help her turn in midair and was launched across her bedroom to land gracefully and silently at her door. She took one last look back to her room, decorated with the dark red cashmere of the Narnian royal color, grabbed the handle, and opened the door...

_End Note: So what did you think? Please review! If you really like this story and want to read more chapters, review to let me know! Do you not like it at all? Same deal. Thank you all for taking the time to read this! Hope to see your reviews!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: Well then, I got enough reviews to continue on with Lucy's story! Thank you!  
_

**_Disclaimer: I do not own _****_the Chronicles of Narnia._****_ I only own my plot and original characters. _**

Chapter 2

Lucy padded lightly through the darkened halls of her home. She'd always loved Cair Paravel. From the shore one could see the great castle that rested atop the hill, dotted with rich green foliage from the trees. An apple orchard was growing, proud and strong, outside the north gate. The grand building was made out of stone; the color of sunsets and beach sand. The structures, mostly square shaped, were built on top of each other as if layers from a cake. A few smaller buildings flanked the center of the castle, used for the unofficial aspects of royal life. These small places usually were guest bedrooms and random, empty rooms.

They all lived on the side of the castle that faced the mountain it was built on. The castle designers they had hired, to help rebuild the place into use after decades of abandonment, had suggested that each ruler have their own building on opposite sides of the grand structure to live in. But the four wanted to be close to each other, so had their own wing refurbished.

The guest rooms, and every other room for that matter, was built of the same sandy stones painted sea glass green and accented with golden molds, with red velvet tapestries, drapes, bedding and what not as decorations. But the rooms of the four monarchs were each unique. They were all decorated with red, a sign of their devotion to their kingdom, but each were different.

Peter's was filled with battle souvenirs. On the walls hung shattered swords, dented shields, scuffed armor, surrender proclamations on scrolls and other victory trinkets. The High King often left a mountain of clothes and paper in his room that he never bothered to pick up, so the servants were often busy directing their attention there after he left.

Queen Susan's quarters were the most lavish of them. It was orderly, clean, and beautiful - perfect. Just like her. It smelled of lavender. Everything in the room matched; there was nothing out of place. There was a mahogany vanity, wardrobe, bed, and dresser. Inside the dresser and wardrobe were beautiful, intricately sewn dresses, as well as coats, gloves, shoes, nightgowns and other accessories; all made perfectly for her. The wallpaper held a pattern of dancing flower petals, reminiscent of a the beautiful dryads that skipped through the forests.

Edmund's room was dark, for he kept the curtains closed. He would sit at his old, weathered desk in candlelight and read over royal decrees, laws, and other things of that matter. On his floor were dozens of random books, parchments, and scrolls strewn every which way, as he had much to do and had no time for organization.

Lucy's room was nothing special compared to her older siblings'. But she was content with it for what it was. It carried the scent of the eastern sea and the sound of the melodious cry of the gulls; she always had the windows open so the wind and sunlight came in. Every decoration was red, as it was her favorite color. It was the color of her country. In her wardrobe was nothing fancy. There were simple dresses and a single coat and pair of gloves. She found that it was easier to have only one pair of gloves for royal balls and one coat because, as long as they always matched what she was wearing, it took away the time she'd spend choosing which one she wanted. She never spent much effort making her room nicer because she was rarely in it. She spent the day around the castle, making new friends and tending to others' worries. It was her job to connect with her people, was it not? An important job indeed, but she wished to be more involved in the royal matters like her brothers and sister.

But, back to where we were. Lucy crept through the halls of the royal wing. She was hoping to take a walk on the beach to clear her head. The night's events had left her emotionally exhausted. Very much indeed. And she wished to take a deep breath of the salty sea air. She never took for granted what beauteous things Narnia offered. She loved everything in her country with all of her heart.

She stepped into the four corners of the palace - the center of Cair Paravel. The East hallway, facing the sea, lead to the throne room. Anything on this side of the building, no matter what floor you happened to be on, was home to anything required to rule a country. There were great libraries, a chamber for Peter and his advisers to meet, rooms to discuss international affairs with foreign leaders, and a war room to go over battle strategies with the generals and other military officials. The feasting room was next to the throne room. And the treasure room, or the weapon's room, made specifically to hold the armor of the rulers, was here as well. The Western hallway was the one that Lucy had just come through, which lead to the monarchs' quarters. The North and South hallways were for miscellaneous things. There were guest rooms and servants quarters and random rooms for random things that did not concern Lucy.

As she found herself in the center of the four corners, the only light being from the dim flickering candles hung on the walls, she heard a noise.

Someone was coming.

Armored boots.

Gasping, Lucy's heart jumped into her throat and her stomach dropped. She turned sharply, her white nightgown flowing and golden hair whipping around her like a cape. Like a cornered unicorn, her chestnut eyes were wide and scared as she scanned each of the four hallways for danger.

Then, out of the shadows, came Edmund. He was still in his armor, as it was required for kings to wear at royal balls. She thought he was in bed.

Letting out the breath she had been holding, Lucy glared at her older brother. "By the Lion's mane, Edmund! You gave me a fright!" Trying to control her heart pace, she said, "What are you doing up at such an unforgiving hour?"

Lucy was used to Edmund's shadowed, dark glares; when his chocolate brown eyes became almost black. He was quite mysterious, her brother.

"I should ask you the very same question." He retorted, stepping into the light to properly see his sister.

"I was going out for a stroll. I cannot sleep." She explained. Lucy never like to lie. She hated to, and she was terrible at it. Her siblings could always tell when she was not telling them everything, even back in London. So whenever asked a question, even if she would get in trouble for it, she would always answer with the complete truth.

Edmund grunted. "Alone, I presume?"

Lucy groaned.

"Where there are bandits and wolves waiting in the dark?" He went on.

She bowed her head down in embarrassment at his words.

_No._

She met Edmund's glare with a fierce gaze of determination. "I am old enough and capable enough to protect myself. I'm seventeen." She stated defiantly.

"Are you sure?" Was his answer.

Lucy growled, angry and hurt at her brother's refusal to believe in her. "Why can you not trust me?"

Edmund's shadowed scowl slipped off of his face and was replaced with something akin to that of a person holding an inner battle. She was not surprised. It was in her older brother's nature to wage wars with himself.

He sighed.

"Lu."

He started, and then stopped, but then started again. "I know you have the courage to not only protect yourself, but to protect the people of this nation. I know you can do great things. I am sorry that you have misunderstood, so allow me to explain. The problem is mine."

Lucy arched an eyebrow.

Edmund pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers, a habit he procured after long hours of stress during their first years as rulers. "It isn't that I don't trust you, it is that I don't trust myself."

"Ugh!" Lucy threw her hands in the air. It was just like him to be so cryptic! "What ever does that mean?" Lucy hissed.

Edmund crossed his arms, now defensive. "It means that I'm still going to keep an eye on you!" He shot back.

Balling her hands into fists at her sides, she gave him the most venomous glare she could muster. (Though it wasn't much, considering that Lucy was a very kind person.) "I am in no need of a babysitter." She warned, her voice low and dangerous.

"Then let us put that statement to the test." Another voice chimed in.

The two younger siblings turned to see that Peter had been standing only a few paces away, watching their whole conflict. He too was still in his battle armor. He and Edmund were both on their way to bed probably from the ballroom. Lucy wanted to pinch herself for being so foolish. She had believed that all of her siblings had gone to bed. Susan was most likely up as well, tending to the last duties of the ball.

"What do you mean?" Edmund asked, caution and uncertainty in his voice. It was rare that Edmund took advice from Peter. It was the Just King that always gave advice to the Magnificent King.

Peter stepped forward. "Please, brother. Humor our dear little sister."

Lucy tilted her head to the side in curiosity.

Peter continued. "You and a small troop _were _about to travel to take an excursion to the Western Wilds, were you not?" He smirked.

Edmund, understanding what Peter was suggesting completely, growled, "No."

Peter arched an eyebrow. "Then you wish to abandon Lucy's trust and disobey the orders of the High King?" He grinned smugly.

Under his blond bangs, Edmund's eyes narrowed in anger at his brother. Peter was right. And Peter was putting him in a terrible position, where the only way to get out was to do as he and Lucy wanted. Both of these things made him grunt an annoyed, "Fine."

Peter chuckled. "Good."

He turned to Lucy. "We will speak of this further tomorrow. Now off to bed with you! I want to see that well rested, beautiful smile in the morning!" He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and he was off. Edmund gave her a quick nod and followed.

Lucy watched her brothers leave. She always loved watching her siblings walk. It reflected their personalities.

Peter tended to walk with a rushed pace. He often did things without thinking, as he was rather rash like that. She laughed softly at a memory. He was fourteen and there was talk of a nasty comment from a general of Calormen. Peter strode into the war chambers and brashly declared a war with the Calormene Empire, angry that someone dared to insult his great country. The generals laughed and calmed the young King down. It was not always befitting for the High King to have such a hasty nature, but it worked wonders on the battlefield and even in the legal process. Sometimes Narnia needed to take risks.

Edmund, on the other hand, strode with a measured pace. He took his time with everything he did, making sure his decision was the best one to make. He wasn't always like this. When he was just a boy he often did things because it had the most benefits for him. He did not care of the pain others went through. Even though they were just childish antics, Lucy could tell that he held a great deal of remorse for his actions. When he was just a young king he had nightmares about the Winter Witch that they had defeated in battle. But, being who he was, Edmund did not confide in any of his siblings. He now was very perceptive, analytical, and inquisitive. He was Peter's closest, and most trusted adviser. Of course, Edmund still had a great temper. Peter would make a comment, and often times during breakfast, he would find toast and jam on his face while the younger king grumbled in his usual moody way.

Susan always walked with such grace that it seemed like there wasn't any flooring under her, but clouds. She reacted to everything like a lady would, and was always calm and composed. Such a mature Queen was always admired by everyone. Lucy looked up to her. It was a good trait to have, especially when dealing with foreign affairs like she did. She was representing Narnia, of course.

Lucy didn't know what she walked like. Her steps were probably like any other seventeen-year-old's. She fancied herself to be as graceful as Susan, but knew that she was a bit of a klutz.

She waited for the barely audible sound of her brothers' doors closing in the distance and finally walked down the very same hallway. As she walked, she twisted her long, sunshine blond hair into a braid and daydreamed of mermaids and lions.

_End Note: I know this chapter was a little short. I'm still trying to figure out a plot and stuff. Thank you for your reviews and follows! Please R&R!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: Here's the next chapter! Expect chapters to be spontaneous but posted within one week. _

**As Always, I do not own the Chronicles of Narnia, I only own my original characters and plot.**

_Chapter 3_

They didn't remember much of their home world.

Actually, it was never forgetfulness. Just distraction.

The four Pevensies, once children, were now mostly full grown adults and rulers of an entire kingdom. They had much on their minds.

So none of their thoughts wandered off, through the deep fog of time, back to Earth and the lives they'd left behind. They were too happy, enjoying the sunshine bliss of their reign, to remember the cold winds and cloudy skies that hung over England.

They never wondered what things were like back home. Their worries never turned to the mother they'd left behind. It had been nearly ten years since they'd arrived in Narnia, and they had not come back since.

Was she alright?

Was she upset that her children had not come home?

Had she searched frantically all over England?

Had she lost hope and given up on her babies, whom she'd raised and taken care of?

And what of their father? Had he come home, with his neatly pressed war outfit and hat, through their door?

Was that blasted war over?

Did they win?

Was the house spared from the great bombings?

And what of the Professor?

Was he worried as well of their disappearance?

These questions were few of the many they would ask if the subject of "home" actually crossed their minds.

The fact was, England was no longer home. Home was in Narnia.

Palace life started for Lucy in the early morning, just minutes before the sun peaked over the flat horizon that met sea and sky together. Her ladies maids included four women. All of them were beavers, including Mrs. Beaver. Lucy loved hearing her friend talk. She would chatter about her life, her goals, her dreams, her complaints about Mr. Beaver. Just about anything. Anybody else would be annoyed with such jabbering, but Lucy was not bothered, because Mrs. Beaver was so dear to her.

First, her maids would get themselves up and get ready, with the rest of the servants, hours before the four did. Then, they'd knock on the door, come in, and wake the Valiant Queen. They never needed to draw the curtains. Lucy always kept them open so she could watch the stars at night. They always were so happy that their lady was so eager to get up in the morning, as opposed to her brothers, as they'd heard rumor that they were like mules in the mornings. They'd get her washed up, and then they would fix her hair. They were very in tune with the latest in fashion in Narnia, not that Lucy cared too much. That particular morning, they'd tied her golden hair up in a bun, curling the ends a bit to frame her face. Then, they would get her dressed. First came the undergarments, then a slip, and then the corset, and then the dress and shoes. Today's dress was rose colored, with off the shoulder long, flowing sleeves and maroon accents while the hem reached just her ankles rather than the floor. It was a lighter dress, for it was to be rather humid. The shoes were simple flats.

All the while, the beavers gossiped.

"Oh! Did you hear about that prince from Terebinthia?" Delilah chirped.

"No I did not! What about him?" Elizabeth pressed.

"Well, he is looking for a queen!" Delilah waved her hands in excitement.

"My Queen, did you hear that? The prince of Terebinthia may be visiting sometime soon!" Petunia giggled.

Lucy rolled her eyes. She had no interest in marrying some spoiled, pampered prince. Such a marriage was only to allow them to become a true king and create heirs. Well, her allegiance was to Narnia. There was no way that she was going to become the queen of any other nation. And besides, she was content with her life at Cair Paravel, with her siblings.

But, she did dream of a sweet, dramatic romance at times. She could often be found in the great library with her nose stuck in a love story.

"Oh come now! Let the girl have a taste of freedom! You know men; they'll have her cooking all day long to fill their bottomless stomachs and then clean up after them!" Mrs. Beaver pointed out, and Lucy laughed.

She left them to go eat in the kitchens. Here, there was a long table for the four to eat their breakfast. The room had a high ceiling, with stained glass windows on the left that streamed in golden sunlight. To the right was the kitchen, where the cooks worked day and night to create culinary masterpieces for their monarchs. Lucy always made sure to thank them after every meal.

She loved breakfast time the most because it was the only time she could see all of her siblings together in one place. Their palace duties often had them hurrying away with barely half of their breakfast eaten. It was a busy life, being a ruler.

She greeted the cook with a smile, and he with a bow. As he informed her, breakfast for that day was to be toast, jam, butter, and eggs.

The youngest ruler took her seat on a wooden chair at the giant table and waited as her three other family members filed into the room. Susan, as usual, was wide awake and ready for the day, but Edmund and Peter were still groggy.

But that didn't stop Peter from forgetting what he had promised his younger sister the night before.

"So, Lucy. Shall we discuss the arrangements I mentioned last night?" He asked before taking a sip of his milk.

Eager and excited for her chance to prove herself, she leaned forward in her seat, grinned, and nodded.

He chuckled at her enthusiasm, and then sneaked a glance under his dark bangs at the scowling Edmund, who was still not too fond of his brother's newest proclamation.

Susan arched an eyebrow in confusion.

"As I said, Edmund is leading an expedition to the Western Wild. The Exploration and Expansion Unit." He started.

"But our ancestors already discovered that territory. Why explore when they decided to never settle there?" Lucy asked.

"It has been a very long time since we last knew what lay in those parts. I believe we should, while we are still in a time of peace, chart the land and see if there are any resources worth utilizing. Maybe we could settle there if we wanted to. But if we choose not to go, we will never know what is out there and may miss an important opportunity to strengthen our nation."

Lucy nodded her head, a focused frown tugging at her lips. "Have you come up with a team?" She asked.

"We have been preparing for this trip for a few months. Edmund will be leading the unit with the help of a lieutenant. There will be a cook, a map maker and navigator, two gryphons, four centaurs, four red dwarfs, four fauns, four satyrs, six animals, a human, and a marsh-wiggle. We'll have four wagons and ten horses to pull them, which will hold all of the required weapons and supplies for the trip." He counted them.

"When will we be departing?"

"Actually, tomorrow." He laughed at Lucy's bewildered face. "I am sorry it is so sudden, but you were so passionate about proving yourself that I added you to the unit on short notice. It is Greenroof, so it is the best time to go."

"What about my things?"

"Being packed as we speak. We will allow you to take Diane as well."

Diane was the pegasus that her family had given to her on her twelfth birthday. She was a white horse with brilliant, sparkling wings and was an excellent flyer; faster than any other pegasus alive. She was a little sassy, and often boasted about being a direct descendant of the great Fledge.

"Is there _anything_ I must do to prepare?" Lucy laughed. The reply was, "Nothing at all. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the rest of the day."

But before she could do just that, protective Susan butted in. "Peter! Are you aware of what you are doing?"

The man being yelled at blinked at his younger sister. "Hm?" he replied, clueless.

Susan huffed, straightening her dress, before continuing, "I cannot believe you think it is a good idea to send Lucy, a lady, out into the Western Wild!"

"What is wrong with that?" The High King asked.

"'What is-' Peter there are monsters out there! And cliffs, and high rivers and waterfalls and barbarians and theives and-" She was cut off.

"Well, we don't know that yet. That's why we are exploring. And at any rate, Lucy is a capable warrior. She can protect herself."

That statement made the Valiant Queen's heart soar. Her big brother really did think her capable of being self-sufficient!

"Oh yes, we know. We have seen you on the battlefield after you sneak in and never tell us that you were coming in the first place." Edmund grumbled.

"Ah, yes. Lucy, please try to let us know about your participation _before _the battles start." Peter chuckled.

"I only do it because if I tell you earlier you will keep me from going!" Lucy retorted to the Just King.

It would be just like Edmund to not allow her to go on one of his campaigns if she asked him. So she had to resolve to sneaking in and not telling him at all. That way, he nor Peter would get a chance to send her back home.

"Yes, Lucy. You worry me sick whenever you do that! I can't find you in the castle and then I think you were kidnapped. Or _worse!_" Susan began to cool herself off daintily with her fan, her forehead breaking into a nervous sweat.

Susan was the worry-wort of the family. She was not particularly fond of war, hence her name the Gentle. That is why she was head of foreign negotiations. She preferred to talk in a civil manner with other nations.

But Lucy was named the Valiant for a reason as well. She would do anything to protect her great nation. Whatever it took. If that meant riding into battle, than so be it.

"But have you seen her in battle? She's been named the little Narnian terror!" Peter laughed.

Susan huffed and tapped her fingers impatiently on the table.

And as always, her three other siblings left, without finishing their breakfast.

"I have to discuss trading negotiations with the Archenland." Was Susan's reason.

"I must talk with my council. The next court meeting will be coming up soon, and I need to be prepared." Was Peter's.

"I need to do some last minute preparations for the Unit now that you are coming along." Edmund grumbled.

Lucy had nothing to do today. Many of her days were like this. So she decided to do what she always did.

She wandered aimlessly around the castle, greeting everybody she saw with a warm smile and a pleasant, "Good morning!" and they greeted her with a bow and responded with, "Good morning, Your Majesty!" Sometimes they would start simple conversation about the weather and family, and Lucy would listen with full attention. She loved hearing about the lives of the Narnians. She cared for each and every one of them.

Lucy was turning a corner after speaking to a faun about his home when she bumped into someone, who fell to the ground with a "**CRASH!**"

Lucy looked down at whom she'd walked into and found it was a human.

He had to be about her age. Maybe eighteen. He had a rather muscular build, with light skin. His hair intrigued her. It was a mix of sandy blond, brown, and dusty red streaks. She'd never seen a human with such strange hair before.

He was completely encased in armor, not unlike the armor her brothers wore into battle, with the red fabric and gold lion and everything. That's what made the crashing sound. It seemed it was too big for him. On second thought, it would probably be too big for a Minotaur. It made him off balance as he tried to stand up but failed miserably and kept falling to the ground.

"Stupid armor!" He grumbled, his dark eyebrows furrowed.

Lucy got down on her hands and knees and grabbed the armored arm to help him up. It was extremely heavy, and it took a few tries to get him back on his feet, but they were eventually successful.

"Wow. You really saved my life! Thanks!" He turned to her and for the first time during that whole predicament, looked at her.

He'd been to busy trying to focus on where his feet were on the floor to see who was helping him. That, and the fact that he lost his peripheral vision to that giant piece of metal he called armor.

His eyes were gold.

Another peculiar trait.

But Lucy was not left in slight curiosity at the sight of them, like she was with his hair, but in utter shock.

They were so _striking_.

They weren't like Aslans, which were the color of honey and morning sunlight. No, these were like lightning.

And they seemed to have the same effect as the thing that bore it's description on her. She was electrified; frozen in place.

The sight of her seemed to startle him. "Oh-oh my gosh! I-It's _you! _I mean- it's Your Majesty Queen Lucy!"

He fell right back down to the floor in what Lucy assumed was an attempt at a bow. "I'm really sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going and I was in deep thought and I wasn't looking where I was going- oh, did I say that already? Anyways, I was just being same old stupid me and bumped into you! It was completely my fault! I'm so sorry!"

He kept jabbering, and Lucy couldn't help but laugh. Despite his muscular appearance, he was insecure and clumsy. Who would have thought?

He stopped his rambling at her laugh and looked up with confusion.

"It is quite alright! The fault was mine as well! I was not looking where I was going either!" She offered him a warm smile and again grabbed his arm to help him up.

When he was properly standing on his feet again she noticed his flustered appearance and a blush flooding over his cheeks like the tide.

Was that because of her?

Not too many young men reacted in such a way around her. The other princes and lords that tried to court her were full of propriety and pride. They saw her as beautiful, but were too dignified to show embarrassment or self-consciousnesses around her. They had no worries about impressing her or looking like a fool in her presence because they were sure of themselves. But this boy lacked that. He showed humility. And Lucy immediately took a liking to him.

"So. May I ask what that armor is for?" Lucy began.

Jumping slightly at being addressed by the Queen, he stammered, looking at his armor, "This? Oh...I-It is for an upcoming trip into the Western Wild, Your Majesty."

"You mean to say that _your _the human recruit for the Exploration and Expansion Unit?!" Lucy cried, clasping her hands together in delight.

"Oh I knew it! I do not meet your expectations! I could be better!" The poor boy muttered pitifully.

Lucy was shocked and then embarrassed that he had misinterpreted her words. She was actually happy that he was going to be on the trip. She was fearful that since she knew nobody being commissioned in the Unit, that she'd be stuck hanging around stern, strict _Edmund _for the entire trip. But now she had a new friend to talk to during their exploration. Not that she wouldn't immediately work to befriend all of the men and women in the Unit, it was just nice to know someone before the trip started. It would be less awkward that way, and it saved her from arguing with her older brother in the first few days of their trip.

"No, no, no! I did not mean that at all! Actually, I am _happy _that you are joining us in the Unit." She explained.

"Oh, yes. I almost forgot that the High King allowed you to join on short notice..." Completely changing his mood from what it was five seconds ago, he held out his hand with a big, goofy grin and stated, "Welcome aboard, Your Majesty! It is good to have you with us!"

She shook it while laughing at his great enthusiasm. "I am honored to be accompanying a group of such skilled an honored military people,...um..." She whispered in embarrassment, "What is you name?"

Blinking in surprise, but then recovering and smiling, the boy responded, "You can call me Sender! I am but a lowly foot soldier but I know I will do great things! I can promise you that!"

Grinning, Lucy replied, "I am sure you will! Now," She looked down at the hunk of metal he was wearing. "Let's see what we can do about that armor!"

She flicked it, but gasped as he lost balance and fell backwards with a second, loud, "**CRASH!**"

* * *

"How are things going?" The first voice asked in English. Narnian language.

"_**Just as planned.**_" The dark voice responded. He spoke in a tongue coated with shadow that made it sound thick and slow. The pure tongue.

"Do you feel that this arrangement will cause problems?" The second voice spoke.

"**_Not a chance. I have complete trust in our_**_** design.**_" Was the reply.

"Alright."

"**_Just remember that trust and belief is the foundation for strength in this organization. If you are to have doubts, then you will hesitate. Hesitation within in army is like a weak chair leg. When finally broken by an outside force, the whole chair will collapse and be useless. If you do not trust in our plans then you will be executed. But if you conceal your doubt you will be the first to die on the battlefront._**"

They both gulped at their leader's words.

Such wisdom.

Such a pure being.

They were dismissed, leaving the dark voice and the adviser alone.

"Marvelous words, master."

"_**If only they could have seen my true power. Such power would have convinced them that our project is, without a doubt, flawless. The only thing that has been holding this group together is pride in our race. But that is not enough. They all came here with more than one purpose other than to avenge their true ruler and their shared blood. They are all different beings with different agendas, wants, beliefs, personalities and**_**_ ideals._ _Soon, their different perspectives will make them clash, and this organization will fall apart._**"

"What do you plan to do about it then?"

"_**I will show them my power. But not yet. As soon as they come, they will be**_**_ reassured_.**"

_End Note: Many people have put this story on their favorites list, decided to follow it, and reviewed and I must thank you all! _

_Until next time!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note: Alright! The newest chapter is up! Thank you to all who have been following this story! Don't forget to review! I need to know whether I'm going well with my writing or not!_

Chapter 4

"Alright, listen up!" Lucy jumped, startled at Edmund's voice ringing over their heads.

"We are about to head out to the Western Wild. We are going to be out there to chart it, find valuable resources, and determine whether there should be settlements out there. We do not know what dangers await us in that territory, and that is why I want you all to be prepared. Some of you may not come back."

Lucy leaned forward in their line and peered down each side, where twenty five other men, women, and other creatures stood with straight backs and determined, set frowns. She tried to memorize each of their faces and mentally added to get to know each and every one of them. She hoped to Aslan that all of their lives would be spared, but Edmund was not one to exaggerate. This mission was dangerous. Lucy understood why Edmund was so angry about her coming along. But it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. She was capable of protecting herself and the other soldiers on this mission.

"This expedition requires you all to be fast, efficient, quick-thinking, resourceful, and strong. And above all, we need to work as a group." Lucy listened closely.

"Out there, there is no civilization that we know of. Out there, is the wild. Once we enter, we will be subject to the same system that everything else living there is. Survival. We will be not treated as civilized men, women, and intelligent beasts, but as animals. We will be seen as potential prey to the creatures festering in those mountains." Edmund pointed off towards the west, a deep scowl set on his face.

"Those monsters will wait for one of us to leave the group, and then attack. So we must all stick together. We will be isolated and alone. I do not want any of you to turn against each other. I want us all to stay in order and efficiency. If you remember that, then we will be prepared when we are attacked. Understood?"

All of the soldiers, except a timid Lucy, stepped forward and cried out in unison, "Yes, sir!"

Edmund nodded, his back straight and his chin was slightly lifted. Lucy noticed this whenever Edmund was in charge. Whenever Peter was not around, his younger brother was no longer a wise adviser but a leader as power fell to him in such times.

"Alright then. Move out!"

And everybody scattered and began to walk. Edmund talked with the Unit's lieutenant before mounting his chestnut horse Phillip. The blanket and saddle he used were the same always. The ones given to him by Aslan's army. The blanket was made of a soft, emerald material with ornate golden trim and embroidered lions. The saddle was black, but had lighter brown, gold studded trims with intricate decorations of regal symbols. Only such works of art were given to Narnian royalty. It was important to him. It was a sign of Aslan's forgiveness of his treachery. He was allowed to fight the Witch in his army, and among other tools given to him, his riding equipment was most special. He was quite the horse rider.

Lucy sighed and turned to Diane. "We must go." She told her horse.

Lucy had her own work of art. Her blanket was made of gold, with white, almost ghostly designs of lions and borders. The saddle was completely black.

Diane snorted. "I am _not_ going to carry you all the way there and back, you know that right?" She snapped as they walked side by side.

A centaur near her growled, "You best not use such a tone in the presence or Her Majesty!"

It was the Lieutenant of the Unit, who had dropped back towards the end of the marching group. Lucy glanced up at him. He was immensely tall and broad. The largest centaur she had ever seen. As per usual for all centaurs in the Narnian army, he wore chain mail under a red tunic topped with leather shoulder pads and protected by two plates of gleaming plate metal engraved with intricate swirls. Of course, over his back, was a red blanket under a sleek black saddle. It was all held in place by black leather straps. His arms were giant and muscular, and his face was sharp and chiseled. His blue eyes were deep under thick, furrowed brows and his lips were pulled down in a frown she assumed was always present. At the moment, he was glaring at the pegasus.

But Diane was not intimidated. She never was. She was quite prideful, her horse.

With a huff though, the white beast threw her head to the side in a pout and bit back a snarky comment.

The centaur nodded her way with a glare before resting his eyes on Lucy. His face cleared, but his frown, as she had guessed, was still set naturally.

"My apologies for interrupting Your Majesty. I felt the need to intervene." He bowed his head.

Lucy always found it funny that such strong, wise warriors showed nothing but than the utmost respect for her, a seventeen year old girl.

"There is no need to apologize. But Diane meant no disrespect. We are very close, she and I, and as such speak informally towards each other. I am sorry you were mislead." She smiled.

The centaur nodded with his own ghost of a smile. "I came back here to introduce myself. I am the Lieutenant of the Exploration and Expansion Unit. My name is Octans."

He bowed as deeply as he could while walking, and she curtsied in return, having to skip sideways to face him.

"Thank you for lending us your expertise. I pray you are a great help to our cause." She beamed.

"Expect nothing less from me, Your Majesty. I would give my life for you, the Just, this Unit and this cause. I swear on Aslan's name." He vowed.

Lucy smiled.

"Lucy!"

They both turned towards the shout at the head of the traveling Unit.

"Lo, His Majesty King Edmund calls for you. You best move quickly, Queen Lucy. I have worked many a year with your older brother and he prefers things to be as quick and efficient as possible!"

And with that, after a quick curtsey, she sprinted up ahead, past soldiers in fur and armor, to reach the voice that had called her name.

She fell in step with Phillip and glanced up at Edmund. He wore a dark blue tunic with tan pants and dark boots. Strapped to his leather belt was his sword in it's sheath. It wasn't as impressive as Rhindon but it was a formidable weapon. His brow, as usual, was furrowed in concentration and deep thought, and his lips were pulled in a tight frown. His gaze was hard. To those watching them, the sunlight gleamed in the siblings' golden hair and made it sparkle and shine like Aslan's mane, inspiring great awe to the soldiers.

After making sure they were far enough ahead to hold a private conversation that was out of earshot, the Just King began, "Lucy, I would like to run a few things by you before we enter the Western Wild."

Lucy, instead of snapping at him about her capability to handle herself (which she was sure she could) bit back her retorts to let him speak. It made Edmund feel better and minimized the chances of their chat turning into a fight.

"Lucy, your safety is of the utmost importance to me. Susan and Peter have entrusted you to my care during this mission."

"I thought that I was supposed to prove myself here." Lucy deadpanned.

"And you will. I am just going to let you know of a few rules and warnings and it will be your job to follow them. That will determine your safety."

Lucy arched an eyebrow and waited for him to continue.

Coughing, he did so. "I know you have a tendency to wander off from time to time. Do you remember how much I emphasized the importance of staying together and why?"

Lucy nodded.

"Good. Stick with the group at all times. If you are to leave, take someone with you."

"Next, you must inform me of what you do. You cannot run off somewhere without me knowing. If you need my help and I do not know where you are-" He stopped himself and looked pointedly at his younger sister, hoping to get the message across.

"Lastly, no valiant acts."

Her heart skipped a beat. She almost didn't hear him right.

"_What?_" She cried. "What do you mean 'no valiant acts'?"

"Just what I said. Lucy, I know you. We all do. You take risk after risk for the sake of the greater good. And that is wonderful. But once we get out there, the world will no longer be that of nobleness and chivalry. It will be a bloodbath. I have heard tell. Your acts will be in vain, a waste of time, and a waste of your life."

Lucy couldn't believe what she was hearing. She wasn't allowed to protect these good people?

"B-But I cannot just let them die!" She cried out.

"And I cannot let _you _die!" Edmund shot back, a familiar anger swimming in his eyes. But after seeing the surprise splashed on Lucy's face, his expression softened.

"Peter, Susan and I; we all depend on you Lucy. What would we do without you?"

Lucy sighed. "Alright, Edmund. I will play by your rules. But if the time arrives that I must break them to save this Unit and it's cause, I will not hesitate to do so."

She gave a powerful glare to her older brother. Not one of a child's pettiness, but that of a Queen's wrath.

And she promptly glided with confidence back to the rear of the group.

They were on the main road that started at the western gate of Cair Paravel. It was made of a sandy colored dirt. Along it were sharp stones with grass spread thinly here and there. They were traveling up the small mountain their castle sat upon. The trees all waved them goodbye and offered their expressions of good luck as the group passed. Some even came out to dance. The sun was bright and the sky was as clear and blue as a sapphire. The rays warmed her skin so the fresh sea wind did not chill her. All around floated a cheery, upbeat attitude that held the promise of luck and greatness.

As she walked, she spied Sender. He was in the more fitting suit of armor that they had picked out the day they met. He wore a humorously dejected expression as he dragged his feet along the road. Laughing at his ridiculous appearance, Lucy skipped towards him, once again at the caboose of the marching Unit.

"Hello there, stranger!" She called as she approached. He lifted his head at her greeting, pulled away from his thoughts, and his expression cleared.

Smiling, he replied, "Hello, Your Majesty!" He did a quick, hasty bow and she a curtsey of the same nature.

They smiled and let a comfortable, companionable silence slip by them for a few moments.

Then Sender stated, "Your brother, King Edmund, a-and I mean n-no disrespect whatsoever! None at all! I would _never _say a mean word about any o-of you or your f-family! I-In fact-" He began to sputter aimlessly, so Lucy stopped him.

"Sender! If you will, get on with it!" She chuckled.

"Oh! Oh, yes! King Edmund, he seems...rather intimidating..." He cringed, waiting for the young queen to take great offense. But instead, she looked on ahead at the figure leading the Unit.

"Your Majesty?" He asked after a long silence as she became immersed in her thoughts. "Queen Lucy?" He raised his voice.

Shaking her head, she murmured, "Huh? Oh! Sorry about that!" She shook her head again for extra measure.

Smiling now, she responded, "If you think Edmund is intimidating, you should meet my eldest brother!"

"H-High King Peter?" He stuttered.

Nodding her head, she went on, "Oh yes! He may seem like a big goofball at times, but he does not keep his emotions in check as well as Ed. He is prone to bouts of anger!" She laughed, recalling the same memory of his declaration of war against Calormen.

"I see...but you seemed quite upset when you were talking to King Edmund..." He trailed off, hoping he hadn't gone too far.

Lucy's eyelids lowered in thought, her long lashes almost brushing the swells of her cheeks. She stared down at the ground.

"Edmund...he thinks I am not capable of protecting myself. I am angry and hurt because...he treats me like a child." She confessed.

"I do not know myself about siblings. I am an only child. But if I may, may I suggest that maybe he is just worried?"

Laughing darkly, she said, "Yes. He is worried because he thinks I am weak."

"That is not what I meant."

Lucy looked up at his face. It was quite strange. To see him wear such a serious expression. It made him look his age and twice as wise. His electric gold eyes were dark now, and were shaded under his multi-colored hair.

"Older siblings, no matter how old or capable their younger siblings are, will always worry. It just means that they care about you and wish to not see you hurt. No matter how skilled a warrior you may be, Edmund would prefer not to take the risk of letting you go into dangerous situations. As an older brother, it is in his nature to do what he can to protect you. I do not believe it has anything to do with whether he thinks you mature or strong enough to go on this expedition."

Lucy blinked.

Such wise words.

Sender was quite strange.

One minute he was a goofy kid, and the next, a serious and intelligent young man.

It made her wonder which side was the real him.

Lucy looked ahead. They were at the very top of the mountain and were looking out into the west. There was the city that surrounded the mountain before Cair Paravel, and after that was miles and miles of dense, green forest. They were like a sea of green, fluffy clouds. Cutting though that vast forest like a blue ribbon was a river. Standing on the horizon were faded, ghostly mountains. The very mountain range in the territory they were traveling to.

"We will follow the Great River of Narnia to our destination." Edmund's voice boomed. "Our journey starts here."

_End Note: Thank you all for reading and reviewing!_

_Until next time!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note: Welcome back faithful readers! This chapter (finally!) is going to be a long one! They're just on their way to the Western Wild. The next few chapters are going to be a "calm before the storm" kind of thing. The real dangers await them in the Western Wild._

_Without further ado, here is the chapter...right after this disclaimer!_

**I do not own the Chronicles of Narnia or it's characters. I only own my OCs and my plot! **

_Chapter 5_

Peter and Susan sat on their stone thrones regally; using the well rehearsed techniques of the straight spine, and stoic expression, their eyes blank and their lips taut in a tight line. It was these mannerisms that were required during court meetings, where everything was business. They had learned, over the years of being monarchs, that an effective ruler takes things in stride with poise and grace. Any emotion shown allowed their enemies to have the upper hand.

Narnia had the most effective court in the entire world. No other government was as fair minded and unbiased as this one. For it's monarchs were all patient and kind, but were swift to deal justice when it was deserved, yet only giving the fitting punishment without going overboard.

It was the most well organized government system. It consisted of the twelve dukes of the duchies (not including Edmund at that particular time, who was the Duke of Lantern Waste and being filled in by his personal adviser) these Dukes were in charge of their assigned territories and during their time in charge, gathered information from the citizens and presented them to the young rulers to then discuss, agree, and declare a decision on how to better the lives of their people. They were representatives that gained the title through blood, but thankfully, a strict code of honor hammered into their heirs' brains ensured that no future Duke would abuse his power. And the people were quite content. The Dukes met every month and the Narnians' requests were responded to quickly. In order to pass a law, three fourths of the court, nine Dukes, had to agree and then at least two of the three younger rulers had to agree as well (but the presence of all of the four was not necessary, only Peter's.) After that, the absolute decision, no matter how many agreed or disagreed, fell to the High King. If by any chance the High King was not able to come to court, he had the ability to give the temporary power to enact laws to one of his siblings, most commonly it was Susan. But when he was, the occurrence of Peter disregarding the popular vote amongst the court had never happened. The magic of their system was that the absolute decision was influenced by the common opinion for what was the best choice to make, so that the power was checked and balanced.

As for treachery, it was highly unlikely. All of the Dukes, though coming from wealthy, powerful families, were fiercely loyal to their great nation, as per their code of honor. A Duke must respect and follow his Kings and Queens wherever they may go, even to the death. A Duke must not _ever _try to usurp the throne from their monarchs. Treachery is an act punishable by death and even worse, lost honor.

The network of noble families here were simple. They did not include conspiracies, unknown alliances, and dark secrets that floated around the court. Here, there was no bias. No Duke was given more power than the other. Here, everyone's opinions were heard and considered. Here, everyone was equal.

To the oldest pair of the Pevensie siblings, court meetings were just as boring but necessary and needed. To them, it was their duty and they approached it with great seriousness. They may have still been young adults; constantly joking and playing pranks on each other and their younger sister and brother, but here, they were the august, powerful, and glorious rulers they truly were.

Or at least what they appeared to be.

Inside, both of them, namely Susan, were trying to quell the nervous tightness in their chests for their traveling siblings.

Susan sighed inwardly. _You must focus, Susan! _She chided herself as if to her brothers and sister. But as she sat as painfully straight as a pin on her throne made of stone, she couldn't help but feel on edge and begin to let her mind trail off into horrendous situations that included Edmund and Lucy...

_No! You mustn't!_

"We would like to strengthen our naval defenses around the Lone Islands and set an ordinance in that territory for greater security." Althalos Mensel, the duke of the duchy of the island of Avra (each of the Lone Islands was now it's own duchy), representing his and the Dukes of Dorn and Felimath's wishes, stated. "This includes checking the products that move from within those borders or out for possible weapons, notes, or other threats to this great nation, then searching the backgrounds of every...worke...wh...d...

But despite her valiant tries to ignore it, the crawling ache in her chest was unbearable.

Susan had always been the mother in the family. Even thought she was not aware, and did not remember, these actions were to replace the mother they had abandoned years ago. Either way, whenever she got the time, she did what she could to see that her brothers and sister were safe, comfortable, and happy. And like all mothers, worried endlessly for their well being. Just as she was doing now.

"Queen Susan? Queen Susan!"

She was brought out of her inner troubles to the real world like surfacing from a murky pond on a bright, clear day.

"Huh?" She blurted.

Peter, who had been the one to pull her back to reality, was staring at her with concern etched all over his face, forgetting his previous determination to hide his emotions. When it came to his brother and sisters, it did not matter.

"I was asking you if you had any thoughts on this new ordinance." He explained, his dark brows furrowed in worry. Susan looked flustered and at the same time at a loss of what to do. And that was a scary thing. Susan always knew what to do.

"I...I..." She stammered. She was stuttering like a nervous fool. And that sent warning bells ringing in the High King's head. Susan always approached everything with the grace of the Queen she was.

Turning to the court, all seated in their great, tall backed wooden chairs, Peter declared, "We will have a recess. This court will resume tomorrow."

There were some strange looks thrown his way at the rather abrupt interruption of their court, but the Dukes knew that Peter's word was law, so said nothing and assumed it was for the best.

The two oldest monarchs waited; Peter standing, one thumb hooked in his utility belt that held Rhindon and the other at his side in a clenched fist, while Susan's lips were pursed so tight they were white and her sea blue eyes were as hard as steel as she sat motionless on her throne in perfect posture.

After the monstrous double doors of the long, expanding throne room were closed, Peter let out the breath that had been trapped in his throat, happy to act as he wished without watchful eyes judging, and turned to his sister.

His heart twisted like a wet cloth being wrung out when he saw that the Gentle Queen's eyes were glistening with unshed tears.

Crying had always been something Susan never did. She was strong and graceful. If she was emotionally stressed she would talk it out and fix the problem herself and on her own. She being one of the oldest, had to take care of her younger siblings, so had to learn to become self sufficient at an early age...in...Eggland was it...? No matter. But it was always Lucy who cried. His youngest sister, like him, wore her heart on her sleeve and when she was upset she'd find Peter and he'd open his arms wide and she'd run to him and he'd let her cry. Susan was a whole different story. She was too mature to be comforted in such a way. She and Peter had less of an older brother/ younger sister relationship. they treated each other as equals. They were partners. Best friends. So Peter approached this as not a comforter, but a confidant.

"This is about Lucy, is it not?" He started.

Susan sniffed. She plunged a hand into the folds of her sea blue dress, grasping a dainty handkerchief to then whisk it up to her face so she could blot her eyes. "Indeed so, brother." She choked, for once breaking free from the iron shackles of her posture to lean back into the velvet cushions of her throne in exhaustion.

Peter sighed and stood at the arm of her throne, the second one to the left. Engraved in the stone were decorative, vertical lines of gold, while on the head was a rounded arch with intricate designs, just the same as her brothers' and sister's thrones. But what made her throne unique was an illustration of her famous horn under the arch.

"Tell me your thoughts." He gently urged, offering her his patience, understanding, and wisdom.

Sniffing again, Susan began. "I do not believe keeping Lucy in the dark was a wise decision." She stated.

Some tears had escaped and rolled down her cheeks. They glistened bright gold as sunlight crashed through the great stain glass window behind them, casting aurelian shapes across her fair features and making her ebony hair shine.

"Why?" Peter responded.

"She has a right to know about these threats. I fear that since she is not aware of what is happening, and I do no doubt that Edmund would refuse to tell her for her protection along the way to the Western Wild, that she will be in more danger." She explained, lifting her chin up towards the ceiling and batting her long lashes to blink out any stray tears, her eyes roaming the mosaic depicting Narnia's creation that covered the entire ceiling.

Peter followed her gaze. In the center, was Aslan, though, no picture could quite depict his amazing beauty and awesome power. Around him, six beings watched him; five humans and a horse. Under him, a tree grew. From him, streaks of gold shot outward and encircled him, depicting him as the source of creation and everything that was good in this world. And from him, his good spread. The streaks of gold shined on different geographical points in Narnia; the sky above him, with the pale moon and shining sun to the left and right respectively, and dancing stars forming the constellations that meant _Peace, Prosperity, and Longevity_. The land was in the middle; including the new landforms, plants, and all of the good creatures he ever created dancing in pure joy and bliss. Below that was the glistening sea that Lucy commanded. Under it, the mermaids and sea people and other ocean dwellers of benevolence jumped out of the water and darted under the ever shifting, aquamarine waves.

Peter glanced back at Susan. She was quite like the sea. It appeared to be calm, quiet, and peaceful to those who looked upon it from land, but to those who knew it truly, those who sailed it's waves, the sea was filled with storms of turmoil. Turmoil caused by fear for the safety of her country.

"I did it for a reason." He finally stated. Susan jerked out of her reverie to glance at her older brother, question shining in her eyes.

Peter stepped away from her throne and began to pace back and forth along the smooth stone of the dais that held up their four seats of power. He had not told anyone of this, but Susan had a right to know.

"A week ago, I had a dream. I saw that the stars aligned to tell us the coming of war and the slaughter of our people." He recounted, his voice emotionless.

Near him, Susan gasped, a slender hand quick to fly up to her lips in shock and fear.

"Why did you not tell me of this, Peter?" She breathed, her breath blown away at this sudden revelation.

"I matters not. Because what I next saw was a circle of stars that rained fire down on our kingdom." Susan opened her mouth to speak but Peter raised a hand to silence her. "And from those stars shadow crossed over the land. But, the sun had risen and with it, the stars faded and turned into birds who flew away. And then I awoke." He finished.

"What does it mean?" She asked.

"I believe that Lucy is going to be the one to save our great country. Only, I did not tell her because I see that this a journey she must take on her own, with Edmund's help."

Susan jumped to her feet dramatically, anger slashing her beautiful features and broiling in her stomach. "Are you mad? You are sending Lucy out there in only Aslan knows what unprepared and unknowing of what she is facing!" She cried, voice still choking from her lingering tears.

"I know that Lucy is capable of protecting herself, and I do not doubt a sign given to me by Aslan." Peter responded, a tinge of surprise at his sister's rare outburst ringing in his chest, but still not unyielding in his decision.

Susan raked a hand through her hair, disheveling the perfect braid, a strange thing for her, as she never would mess up her perfect appearance. "She's too young to save a kingdom!" She retorted.

"She is seventeen years old. She has been a Queen for ten years. If Aslan deems her ready, than that is final! Don't you _dare_ doubt His decisions!" Peter snapped, his frequent rage stirring slightly within the confines of his rib cage.

Susan growled and whipped around, her gown rustling, and shifting like the waves of the sea under a sunset in the golden sunlight. She crossed her arms and huffed. "I do not doubt His choices, brother. I only worry for Lucy." She ground out.

Her features softened. "I cannot help it."

Peter sighed, pivoted on his heel, and toppled into his throne. "I know. I worry as well. But it is to be. And we must accept that."

* * *

"Ugh!" Lucy cried as she flopped down on a nearby rock. She clenched her teeth, gripped a leather boot, and tugged it off of her foot hard, sending it flying into an unknown destination. She gingerly rubbed the blisters that were forming from the endless walking, her heels and toes aflame with an agonizingly annoying fire of pain. She groaned and muttered to herself about brothers and marches and rocks purposely jumping under her feet and tripping her.

They'd been walking for three days. They had been following the Great River of Narnia, and were presently in the Fords of Beruna, taking a "quick and efficient five minute break" as Edmund liked to call them.

Edmund, as Octans had described, was a stickler for being efficient. Everything had to be organized. Everything had to be done quickly. Everyone had to be ready on time. He was quite a pain.

Lucy groaned. "Why do I have to have such a control-freak as an older brother?"

His overbearing ways were not limited to Lucy, despite her equally royal status. Here, Edmund was the one in charge and did not hesitate to show off his power by pushing her around. And that meant following all of the orders given to all of the soldiers. These included fetching two-ton bucket after bucket of river water, and wallowing in the mud to get them, might she add. But not only that, she was subject to his overprotective ways _all day._

"Lucy, come away from the side of the road. There are bandits."

"Lucy, stay with Octans while you fetch the water."

"Lucy, stay close to me, these travelers passing by look suspicious."

"Lucy! Lucy! Lucy! Lucy!"

Oh, she had had _enough _of this nonsense! He promised her that he would stay out of her way and focus on leading the Unit. He promised her that her safety was to be determined by _her _decisions. But she knew he would forget it. She knew he wouldn't honor his promise to her.

She kicked a nearby rock brutally, frustration turning in her stomach and cooking well over the flames of her anger. She had been so excited to go on this trip and be her own person. To not have overbearing older siblings taking care of her. She thought that she was free to follow the call of adventure. Apparently not.

One of the centaurs nearby noticed her agitation and trotted over. Lucy looked up at her.

Autumnburst, true to her name, had a dark, vivid red coat and tumbling, long hair of the same color. Despite her wild appearance, she was patient, empathetic, and gentle. Her thin, slender fingers worked expertly on the injuries of the soldiers here, for she was the Unit's healer.

"What troubles you, Your Majesty?" She inquired, her bright, lawn green eyes searching the chestnut of her Queen's. Lucy knew that her subjects found it strange for their Valiant monarch to show any sort of anger or sadness since she was always so cheerful.

Lucy sighed, extinguishing the fire of her anger so only it's embers smoldered within her. Her frustration was suppressed but not quelled.

"It is nothing for you to worry about, Autumnburst. Please be at ease." She gave her a smile.

But the healer was not fooled. Her Queen's smile did not reach her eyes, and the Centaur felt disappointment darken the Valiant's features like the shadow it was.

"Forgive my disregard for your wishes, Your Majesty, but I cannot leave you be when you are so troubled. May I ask that you confide in me?" The Centaur circled the rock before rocking on her legs and falling to her knees in a sitting position, her legs folded under her.

Lucy chuckled. No matter how docile the Centaur may have been, they were fiercely loyal and would have done just about anything to make sure their rulers were happy. And at any rate, Lucy did not give a direct order. She actually really never gave orders. She merely asked with a please and thank you and her subjects did so or didn't depending on what they thought was best for her. They all cared so much.

Lucy let out her twentieth dejected sigh of the day. "I am just frustrated with my older brother, for not giving me the freedom to do as I please. I understand he worries about me, as brothers do, but it is becoming overbearing."

Autumnburst nodded her head. "I fear that there is nothing I can do about that, Valiant Queen. His Majesty King Edmund would have my head if I suggested he leave you to your own devices!" She laughed, trying her best to lift the mood of this downcast teenager. But her face fell into a frown when it did no good.

"I think it best that you talk with him. Open your heart to him and maybe he will understand you. I have observed you two for these past few days. You tend to speak to each other more like you are arguing over trivial matters - pardon me if that is disrespectful, Your Majesty - instead of talking things out. Why do you not speak to him now?"

Lucy leaned forward and drew invisible circles on the sleeve of her rose tunic. "Now is not the best time for that." She mused, almost muttering her voice was so quiet at that moment.

She inhaled deeply, trying to cleanse her stomach of the viscous sadness that thickly swirled within her. She ignored the sharp aching in her neck and rolled her head back to gaze up at the brilliant blue sky. Heavenly, puffy clouds rolled on by, as if without a care in the world, minding their own business. "For we are at the site of the Battle of Beruna." She stated.

Autumnburst beside her nodded. "Aye. That we are."

Lucy rolled her head back down and swept an arm out to address their surroundings. They were in the center of the battlefield. All around were wide-open space as far as the eye could see. The vivid green land expanded and dove down into a wide valley of sorts. To their right was a very close-by mountain that stood tall and majestic next to the clear, blue sky. Some large boulders were melded to the ground here and there, swirling patterns of many tones of gray making up their constitution. The sun was no longer warm on their skin, but torturing as it's searing rays beat down on their shoulders like a physical force. And their sweat only added to that weight and made them all sluggish and exhausted. But thankfully here, the wind was strong. It pulled at Lucy's golden braid and blew against her slender neck to cool her off.

But even though they were out in the wide open world, it was like a prison for her older brother.

"Listen closely. All of this is just a reminder for Edmund. A reminder of his treachery." She explained.

"I am afraid I do not understand." Autumburst started. "He was forgiven. By the Great Lion, by Your Majesties, by all of Narnia. We do not hold any grudge in our hearts for his deeds. Why is he still so upset?"

Lucy's brown eyes searched the grounds and amongst the many soldiers in search of her brother. She found him speaking with Octans. His brow was even more furrowed than usual, and his lips were in a tighter, deeper frown. His brown eyes were coal black.

"Because he has not yet forgiven himself..." Lucy trailed off.

It was true. She could see it in Edmund. He carried with him the heavy baggage of his guilt. Though he was happy here in Narnia, just so as his royal siblings, he still dealt with his own inner turmoil. It was because of this that he was so intense and reclusive. She could tell he wanted more than anything to move from this place and go as far away as possible. Though she could not see the many bodies littered on the ground, the life from their breaths long since gone, or the blood washed over the earth, Lucy could still remember. And in her mind, that image was as clear as day, as she knew it was for Edmund at that moment as well.

But that was all she knew from Edmund and his guilt. Since he chose to be alone to deal with his problems, neither she nor Susan nor Peter had any idea what he felt. Lucy wished to know more and understand, but respected that his feelings were private and he could do whatever he wanted with them.

Just then, Edmund stood up to his full height and gave an order to Octans, who relayed it to the rest of the Unit by bellowing, "It is time to leave! Move out soldiers!"

Autumnburst rocked back to her feet, gave Lucy a bow, and cantered ahead to speak with another subordinate.

Lucy flipped her braid back over her shoulder, grabbed her saddle, shoved her foot in the stirrup and flung herself over Diane.

"Hey! Easy, easy!" Diane scolded. "If you break my back and cripple me for life I will not forgive you!"

But the white, glittering pegasus received no apology or joke from her master. Instead, she was met with silence.

Diane threw her head to the side and peered over her back to see that Lucy was looking on ahead, her golden brows arched in concentration and her rosy lips in a tight line. She saw that her Queen's hands were gripping the black leather reigns so tightly her knuckles were white and her fists were shaking.

"H-hey...!" Diane stuttered, immensely surprised at both her master's strange mannerisms and at the twinge of fear wriggling in her chest at what she might say or do.

But, to her relief, Lucy snapped out of it. Her brows shot up and she blinked, her frown open in a slight gasp. "Oh! Diane, I am so sorry! Where you talking to me just now?" She lowered her head to peer closer into the great mare's eyes, some golden waves coming loose from her braid in the wind to frame her face.

"Pftt!" Diane snorted. "Yes, I _was _talking to you! But you were too busy spacing out to listen to little old me prattle on about things that don't concern you!" She cried.

The Valiant's whole demeanor changed to that of concern. "Oh, Diane!" She began. "Of course you are important to me! I care about everything you have to say! You were not brought into this world just to fill the empty space! You're opinions and thoughts are more valuable that gold!" She explained.

"Oh, quit your lecturing!" Diane snapped, having heard Lucy speak to everyone who insulted themselves like this about three billion times. It was quite annoying.

"I was just worried about you, that's all..." The horse confessed.

Lucy cocked her head to the side in question, her brown eyes glimmering. "Whatever for?" she asked.

Diane let out a bark of laughter. "Your knuckles were white you were gripping the reigns so hard! I must say, you are quite fearsome when you are angry. My question to you is; why?"

Lucy straightened her spine and felt the methodical rocking of Diane as she her hooves dug into the ground, following the Unit. She looked ahead to Edmund, but then placed her hand on the back of the saddle to allow her to shift her weight and lean back, peering over her shoulder to watch the horizon from which they came over.

"I do not think coming on this trip was such a grand idea anymore." She admitted.

"I never thought it a grand idea from the start!" the pegasus barked, receiving laughter from her rider.

"I know you are not much of a traveler!" She chuckled, but softened. "But I am. And I believed that I would make a name for myself out here. Edmund, though, is preventing me from doing that. And I am frustrated with him."

She twisted back to her previous, straight position and spied the golden head of her older brother at the front of the group.

"And not only am I angry with him, I am worried about him as well..."

_End Note: Please read and review! I want to know your thoughts! I just revised this chapter again! Sorry to those who had to read this chapter before with all of it's awful spelling mistakes! I was typing this on my iPad. Now I've learned my lesson. I am also looking for a beta reader to help me correct my terrible grammar and help me with other stuff. If anyone out there is interested, pm me! _

_Bookaholic2000: Thank you so much for pointing out those spelling mistakes! It was a really big help! Don't hesitate to keep pointing out grammar issues out in the future! _


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's Note: Hello again! How are you all? Hopefully, good! Here's the next chapter!_

**I do not own the Chronicles of Narnia or it's characters, I only own my plot and OCs.**

It was midday that next day. They'd left the Fords of Beruna and Lucy was glad to see the tension in her older brother's muscles recede. She knew how much those memories pained him, and the Fords only served as a reminder to his guilt.

The sun was an unrelenting annoyance to all of them, and there was no solace from the heat. They had just climbed out of the valley but were still in the plains. There were few trees here. Just wide open grasslands. Lucy searched her surroundings. The plains were a vivid green, the tall grass rolling silver by the wind as if they were waves in an emerald sea. Perched on many blades of grass were tiny plumes of wild flowers that carried the sweet scent of honey. Bees, dragonflies, lady bugs, and all sorts of insects zoomed through the humid air. The sky, as it had been since the beginning of their trip, was a clear blue. The clouds were wispy today; they swept across the sky like brush strokes on a painting in the Throne Room. All around her, Lucy heard the clanking of plate metal and the ruffling of leather protective gear as her fellow soldiers trekked along the lonely dirt path. Horses' and centaurs' hooves pounded the ground and shifted the dirt under their weight. They were all sticky from the thick fog of humidity that cloaked the air and made it difficult to breathe through their exhaustion. Even Edmund, who'd let Phillip walk alone to give him a break, had broken into a sweat. Lucy sure was tired.

She had borrowed Peter's old brown leather boots, a few pairs of cream riding pants and a utility belt from his younger years as High King. From her sister, (Susan actually didn't lend her anything, for the Gentle Queen was still very much against letting her little sister out on an exploration mission. Instead, Lucy swiped some of her older equipment just before her servants were finished packing) Lucy obtained leather archery arm protectors. On his insistence, Edward shoved one of his lightest swords in it's sheath in her face, and that now hung on her belt. The only parts of her outfits that she actually owned were her undergarments and light colored tunics. She chuckled as she remembered Susan chiding her for asking the seamstresses to make men's clothing for herself. She was glad that she wasn't in a dress. Her older sister always insisted on wearing them when traveling._ Susan _must_ have gotten a _bit_ tired from trudging through Narnia in such hot, layered clothing!_ She had to laugh at the irony. The Gentle often lectured her siblings about presenting themselves in the appropriate clothing for every occasion, but a dress certainly was not appropriate for this mission. Peter had to quickly hand her his old clothes under the table while their sister wasn't looking.

"It sure is hot, is it not, Queen Lucy?" A voice inquired.

Lucy turned to see that Sender had jogged up to walk beside her. Lucy no longer hung in the back. On Edmund's orders, she was to linger in the center of the group so she was better protected. She rolled her eyes at that recollection.

Her brown orbs met his electric yellow gaze and she had to look away. Every single time she looked into those eyes she was stunned and left speechless. She resolved to staring ahead towards their destination. The Western Mountain range was still visible in the distance.

"It certainly is. It _is _Greenroof. One of the hottest months of the year. I wager it will be like this the entire trip." She replied.

"Not entirely. I studied the maps with Lieutenant Octans and a few of the other foot soldiers in the Unit. The Western Wild is covered in dense forest and rests on a mountain range, where it will be much colder." He too studied the jagged shape of mountains in the distance.

"In heat or chill, my resolve will not falter. I plan to see this entire journey through to the end, without a single life sacrificed." She proclaimed, both her voice and will like steel.

"Great words, your Majesty! I have no doubt that you will succeed." He grinned.

Lucy shot him a peculiar look. "Sender, please! Enough with the titles!" She light-heatedly chided.

His smile slipped off of his face in confusion. "But, what will I call you? Surely any other name would be gravely disrespectful."

It was in situations like this one that Lucy reveled in her power. "Ah, but I am a Queen of Narnia! If you call me anything else, I will decree it not be labeled disrespectful!" She laughed. "Now. Call me by just by my first name, as friends do. If you call me by such high and mighty titles I must be forced to believe we are not friends!" She cornered him. _He shan't refuse now!_

Sender kneaded the back of his neck, a nervous tick Lucy had noticed these past few days. Finally, he sighed and relented. "Alright! I give in, Qu- I mean, Lucy." Her name trembled and wavered on his tongue, like it was from a foreign language. She let out a bright laugh at the red color creeping over his cheeks, much to his increased embarrassment.

"Hey, look up ahead!" He pointed.

Lucy looked up and pushed a few flyaway golden strands out of her eyes to see better. The Unit was approaching a fork in the road. She squinted her chestnut gaze to read the tiny print on the wooden directories. One pointing to the Shuddering Wood, and the other to the Dancing Lawn.

Her heart gave a hard kick in her chest at the sight of that joyful word. Without saying anything else, she darted away from her friend and sprinted to the front of the group, pushing past soldiers with hasty, "Excuse me!"s and "Pardon me!"s, Finally, she reached Edmund and gripped his shoulder in an iron grip.

He sucked in a sharp breath and his head snapped to the side. "Ow, Lucy! Quit it!" '

Lucy couldn't help but laugh at his words. Here was the nineteen-year-old Just King complaining like he was eight again.

He scowled at her laughter and grunted, "What is it?" Avoiding her eyes.

"Edmund, have you gone mad?" Lucy hissed.

He looked back at her with a deeper scowl. "What are you talking about?" He grumbled.

"You are about to turn right when we should be going left!" She cried, throwing her hands in the air.

Edmund glared. "And why is that? The path to the right follows the Great River of Narnia. _That_ is where we should be going."

Smiling, she hung her head down and shook it in amusement. She pressed, "No, no, no! We must stop at the Dancing Lawn!"

Taking a step back out of her grip, he gasped, "Whatever for?"

"To _dance _of course! Why would it be called anything else?"

"Lucy we have no time to play. This is a military mission. We aren't here on vacation." He explained in that matter-of-fact tone that made her feel like a child and boiled her blood.

Taking a deep breath to compose herself, she reasoned, "Edmund, I believe you are pushing this Unit too hard. We are only traveling. We have not arrived at our destination, where the real danger is. For now, it would be nice to relax a little before we enter the Western Territory."

"We cannot do anything here without Peter's consent. You know that, Lucy." He replied.

"Ah, but _you_, brother, are the leader of this Unit. And besides, this is not an urgent mission. We are not pressed for time here. We may take as long as we like."

She gave him the the most innocent, love filled, little sister pout she could manage in her matured features. Her lips spread into a wide grin when a familiar groan escaped his lips. It always meant that he was relenting.

"Fine, fine! We will take a break at the Dancing Lawn and make a camp there tonight! Happy?" He turned to her. "But, this will be the last request you will make, understand? This is it!"

His eyes widened at the confident look she gave him that said, _We'll see about that! _

She skipped off back to Sender as her brother's voice boomed, "We will camp at the Dancing Lawn for the night!"

A fierce cheer erupted all around her like lava exploding from a volcano. Even Octans was smiling, something unusual for him.

* * *

She gazed in the mirror at her reflection. She had to say, she almost didn't recognize the girl standing before her.

She was in a simple white dress made of a flowing, silky fabric. The sleeves were cut at her mid-forearms. The hem of the dress fell at her ankles, and the skirt flowed. There was a thin leather belt tied around her waist. Her hair was tied in a half up-do with the top of her hair in a poof and a headband of flowers keeping it all in place. Her hair fell in long, healthy, golden waves. On her feet were dancing slippers.

After thoroughly thanking the beech and silver birch dryads that had helped her get ready, she exited the tent.

She walked out into the warm, night air. Above, the sky was littered with millions stars, who twinkled happily down at her. A small forest of elm trees bordered the plush, green lawn, their long reaching branches swaying. Widely surrounding the giant bonfire in the center of the clearing were many white tents made for the guests, identical to the one she had just left.

"Lucy!"

She turned to the sound of her name and smiled at Sender, who couldn't seem to keep his eyes off of his new white tunic, dark brown pants and shiny new dancing boots. His hair was cleaner and softer looking, but still hung over his eyes.

"Wow, would you look at this! Never in my life have I never worn such nice clothes! Lucy, you must-" He finally looked up as he approached closer and stopped dead in his tracks. She felt her cheeks warm up a bit as he looked her up and down, wearing a look of complete and utter shock. He looked like he'd been slapped across the face.

After a little while of silence, he finally choked out, "W-Wow, L-lucy...You look...you look.."

The Valiant Queen chuckled at his loss of words, still quite embarrassed but a little more in control than he, and walked up to him. "You don't look half bad yourself, stranger!"

She then grabbed his arm and pulled him into the complex circle of dancers now weaving and jumping to native Narnian tunes.

Lucy always loved this kind of dancing. Folk dancing.

The waltz was nice. It was eloquent and beautiful. But it was superficial. There were so many rules and social customs associated with it. There were certain places that that hands had to stay on, otherwise it was inappropriate. There was a certain closeness that had to be maintained. You had to watch your step, lest you step on your partner's foot. It was good for small talk with ambassadors and princes, but it wasn't what Lucy loved in a dance.

Folk dance had heart. It always told a story, right along with the music. The dances were complex and lively, so she was never bored. It wasn't a courting dance. You weren't supposed to talk, and either way, the music and roar of the fire was too loud to speak over.

The story of this particular dance was about a lovely dryad who was the fairest in the forest. She longed for love, so she wandered for a while in search of it. She found another dryad and after spending time together, fell in love with him. But somebody was preparing to cut down the forest to build a new settlement. The two died together, but their love was so strong, it created the seed of an apple tree that grew. It's apples were said to hold magical properties, for what could be more powerful than love?

The tune, like most Narnian folk songs, was played on a many flutes, lutes, and drums. It's beat was fast and it's notes dipped and weaved and jumped.

The dance was dynamic. It was based around the concept of a circle. Each dancer made a circular movement, each set of partners moved in their own little circle, each trio of pairs did the same, and finally, the entire group weaved in and out of different varieties of the same shape. It was quite complex but it was amazing to dance to. The Fauns and Satyrs, the former most especially, enjoyed dances such as these. Most of the soldiers of those two races in the Unit were there, laughing and singing and playing.

Finally, in a thrilling climax, the song ended with a loud smash of the drum, leaving it's dancer's breathless and their hearts hammering and their brows broken into a sweat.

Lucy and Sender were stopped in a bowed position, their foreheads only a few inches from each other. They both grinned, and jumped up to stand.

"You are an amazing dancer, Lucy!" He commented.

"And you are as well! Tell me; where did you learn to dance like that?" She inquired.

Something dark passed over his features, but was quickly masked by a cheery smile, "Oh, here and there!"

Was that it? Lucy then realized how little she knew about him. The entire trip so far consisted of Lucy telling her friend everything about her home and family. But all the while, Sender had not said a thing about his own life.

And then Windstrike cantered up, smiling, and boomed, "It is a glorious night, is it not, Your Majesty!?" He was the centaur of dark features who was very loud and jovial.

Lucy nodded enthusiastically. "Indeed it is!"

The large man-horse gave a bellowing bark of laughter and replied "It is! Be merry, my Queen!"

Giving him a nod and smile, she said her goodbyes to them and walked off, seeking a place to rest.

This night was perfect. Would it stay like this forever? She sent a prayer to Aslan, thanking him for her life. For these past ten years, she could never have been more happy.

She suddenly crashed into something solid and two hands shot out and grabbed her wrists to right her. Surprised, Lucy looked up to see that it was her brother.

"Hey, slow down there! You are going to knock someone out at the speed you are going!" He joked.

She then smiled smugly and stated, "Well, now! You seem to be in a much better mood tonight!"

She grinned when he let go of her wrists and stood up straight, coughing. "Well, yes." He choked.

_That boy and his pride! _

He offered her his arm. "Now, are we just going to stand here and talk, or are we going to dance? This _is _the Dancing Lawn, and we _are _supposed to dance. Why would it be called anything else?" He grinned.

Elbowing him before taking his arm, she grumbled, "Oh, just shut it!"

* * *

After the fire had been put out and the others had gone to rest in their tents, Lucy slipped quietly into the forest surrounding the Lawn.

She knew that she wasn't allowed to, but she just wanted to take a walk. Surely Edmund wouldn't mind if she took a short stroll. Then again, he most definitely _would._ But he didn't have to know what she was doing.

Hands clasped behind her back, she glided through the forest, the elms removing feet and branches to clear the path for her. They greeted her in their deep voices, and spoke to her about the news that was passed between all of the trees in Narnia. Her white skirt brushed against her ankles. She let the cool forest air wrap around her and blow her hair out of her face.

She found herself in a tiny clearing. She looked around and took a deep breath.

In, and out.

The wonderful, clean smell of damp earth filled her lungs and she felt her spirit being cleansed. She adored taking walks in the forest for this reason. Her pink lips spread into a content smile and she let her eyes flutter shut for a short time, just taking it all in.

She was about to turn back when she heard a low, guttural growl.

Her heart stopped and her eyes widened in nervousness.

Turning, she listened for the sound again, hoping that it was just her imagination playing tricks on her.

There it was again! And with it, there was the rustling of leaves and twigs snapping, indicating that there was something stalking through the woods.

She heard more. She counted the different sounds and to her horror, there were around nine creatures surrounding her.

"Whoever you are...stay back!" She cried, her voice a weak, ghostly whisper. Hot prickles of fear spread across her chest and attacked her heart like a poison.

Suddenly, wolves appeared from the shadows and began to creep around her in terrifying circles.

Her stomach plummeted.

They snickered and growled as they walked, their bodies fluid like water. They were shadows. Soundless and unseen. Their fur, of all colors, was sleek. Their eyes- oh their _eyes! _They were a terrifying gold.

Lucy finally understood why wolves did this. To trap their prey but moreover, to strike fear into them. A fear of not knowing what was coming, from where, or when.

"What do you want with me?" She managed to utter. She received no reply.

Their circle was growing tighter and tighter by the second.

But suddenly, tree branches snapped out and built a protective wall around her. The elm dryads around her were growling and roaring in anger, warning the wolves to stay back.

She thought she was in the clear.

But one wolf came out and let rip a ear scraping bark. It sent a wave of force crashing against the her wall, and after blasting the tree branches to bits, set them on fire.

Groans of agony from her tree friends surrounded her. It was Lucy's own torture; to see and hear the pain of her people.

Slapping her hands over her ears she screamed, "_Stop it! Stop hurting them!_"

She fell to her knees and watched as the wolves circled again, chanting in some strange, foreign language. It was dark and thick.

A shadow fell over her and pressed down on her shoulders. She felt a sudden rush of weakness; like she was being drained of her energy. Then she couldn't move, or even call out for help. Her lips were forming the words but there was no sound.

The fear struck like lightning in her heart. Her panic roiled in her stomach.

She was helpless. She couldn't do a thing.

Through the fog, she saw blood. So much _blood. _And she heard screaming. Men and women and children alike of all races were wailing in pain and sadness and fear. Their distress struck a tormenting chord in her heart and Lucy longed for it to stop. It was worse than any kind of torture that could ever be inflicted on anyone. She smelled burnt skin. She tasted something coppery in her mouth. She felt the chill of death surround her.

"_For Aslan's sake, please STOP!_"

And that was all it took. Suddenly, she was alone again, the wolves gone without a trace.

She was lying on the ground, so with a pained groan, she rolled on her knees and hung her head down, breathing hard. Her lungs clenched painfully and her heart was hammering so hard she thought it would break her ribcage.

Her heart flew into her throat when she heard something crashing through the forest and into her destroyed clearing.

"Leave me be! In Aslan's name, leave me be!" She shrieked.

She cried out in terror as hands grabbed her shoulders and pushed her so she was sitting up straight.

She tried fighting back. She used all of her strength, or what was left of it, to push away. She beat weakly against the chest of her captor. But whatever had her was too strong.

"_Lucy!" _Edmund's voice rang out, and she immediately stopped. She finally opened her eyes and found that it was truly him.

And that was all it took. She broke down into sobs and flung herself at him, gripping the front of his tunic like it was the only thing keeping her from death.

"Oh _Edmund!_" She cried.

"Lucy _what happened?" _He enunciated.

Through her hiccups, she told him everything.

"Lucy, there is nothing wrong here. The elms are unhurt." Edmund explained, extremely worried for his sister.

"I _know _what I saw! And it was _real!" _She shouted.

"Alright, alright! I believe you." He shifted and placed a hand under her knees and another behind her back. He lifted her and carried her back, all the while the younger queen sobbing quietly, her shoulders shaking hard. Her hot tears were probably leaving his shirt soaking wet. Images of the bleeding children crying our for their lost parents incited a heavy hiccup in her.

"Hold on, Lucy." Her older brother murmured.

There was a voice. "King Edmund! Please, what is wrong with Lucy?"

It was Sender. He sounded terrified.

"This is none of your concern. Return to your tent." Edmund growled.

_Oh, please don't send him away!_

A pause.

"That is an order!" Her brother barked.

Her heart sank as his footsteps faded away, muffled by the grass.

_End Note: O.O__...Well now! Much happened in that chapter!_

_I also noticed throughout this story that I give Susan a bad name! She's the annoying, overbearing, overprotective, nagging, older sister! I actually love Susan. I feel that she is kind of an emotionless blah and would love (I am considering extending this story into a few sequels! Squee!) to do a more in detail story in the future that focuses solely on her. But right now, I'm focusing on Lucy! I'd also love to focus on Peter as well. But that will be for another time!  
_

_I realize as well that Edmund is different from his original character in a few ways. For one, he is much more intense. And then he is super overprotective. He's not as prone to cracking sarcastic jokes, but don't worry he will soon! His new attitude is a plot device!_

_Also, I would love for you to comment. Do you think the characters are strong, and not just a bunch of "Mary Sue"s? What are your predictions? Any mistakes? Any thoughts on how I should improve? Any comment (as long as they're not mean/hurtful, of course!) Is greatly appreciated and accepted. I love connecting with my readers.  
_

_bookaholic2000: Great! Thanks for helping me out! It really means a lot! I managed to map out a plot summary and I estimate that there will be 29 chapters. I edited out a few scenes from before that you suggested were too early to include at this point in the story. Thank you!_

_Until next time!_


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's Note: Hello faithful readers! Welcome to Chapter 7! This is a shorter chapter but a good one I promise! Guess what? I finally got my laptop fixed and can now post chapters sooner! I had to fight with my other family members for the computer before, but now I have my own! Now, on with the story! _

**I do not own the Chronicles of Narnia or it's characters. I only own my plot and Oc's. **

Lucy spent the night in Autumnburst's tent. While she continued to let out the remaining sniffles, huddled up next to her friend, the centaur comforted her and told her stories about the stars. After a short while, she fell asleep, and dreamed of an endless darkness.

When she woke up, got ready, and began their march again, she was embarrassed.

For the first time, Lucy was ashamed of showing her emotions in front of her friends and her people.

Lucy had cried often, the time or place mattering not to her. But now, when she wanted more than anything to be strong on her own, she felt disgraced. She didn't care if she was scared out of her mind at what she saw last night. She didn't care that she felt like retching when she remembered all of the blood that was shed. Wasn't a Narnian queen supposed to be courageous in the face of danger? Wasn't a queen supposed to control her emotions and have a level head? Lucy felt anger well up in her at her inability to perfect this technique. As with everything, this came easily to Susan. And, as with everything, it seemed, this did _not_ come easily to Lucy.

_What people want a coward as a ruler? What people want a child to lead them and make the hard choices for them? Not my people. And they don't want me._

For the rest of the morning, Lucy avoided the gazes of Autumnburst, Sender, and a few of the other soldiers who'd witnessed her breakdown. She thought they were avoiding her out of spite for her weakness, but in actuality, they assumed she needed more time to herself to gather her emotions.

She shuffled on, her boots kicking up dirt that floated in dusty clouds around her feet. Her braid was lazily done, so golden strands hung over her face and shielded her eyes from the view of those nearby. She hung her head down and stared at the ground like it was the most fascinating thing she had ever seen. The song of the birds, the whistling of the grass blowing in the wind, and the humming of insects as they buzzed by were sounds that Lucy enjoyed but did not pay attention to as she trudged on. The blue sky was not as blue, the river was not as clear, and the flowers were not as colorful. Stewing over her emotions, Lucy did not pay any attention to the beauty of her country as she normally did.

It wasn't until the sun was highest in the sky that she felt a tapping on her shoulder. She looked up with tired eyes to see that it was Sender. But instead of her usual cheery greeting, she hung her head back down and said nothing.

"Lucy." He started. His voice did not hold it's nervous energy or quirkiness.

She shook her head and looked back up at him. "Sender I-" But he cut her off. Which was uncharacteristic for him. He was so respectful he never would cut a Queen of Narnia off while she was speaking, despite how much Lucy hated it.

"Lucy, I want to know what happened to you last night." His brow was furrowed and his lips were pressed tightly together.

Lucy searched his electric eyes, gauging whether she should tell him or not.

"Please. Your brother would not say a thing to me." He pressed.

She thought for a moment, sighed, relented, and told him everything.

He listened with patience. He didn't seem as surprised as she thought. He looked to be angry. Who could blame him? If he was attacked, she would be just as angry.

But she had to admit, anger did not fit him. She would have much rather seen a smile on his face. And then again, wouldn't _he _much rather see a smile on _her _face? Wouldn't her people much rather see her smile, then sulking around?

Oh, she was such an _idiot! _She thought that her people didn't want to see her upset because it was inappropriate for a queen when they actually didn't want her to be upset because they _cared _about her! _Ugh!_

She turned to Sender now, grinning. "Stop that!" She chided her friend, who turned his head away from the ground he was glaring at. His eyebrows shot up at her new mood.

"There is no need to be angry! I am alright! I was unhurt! So turn that frown upside down so we can focus on the mission at hand!" She pounded her fist into her other palm.

Sender smirked, his golden eyes glimmering under his shaggy hair streaked with browns, reds, and blonds. "Bipolar are we?"

Lucy elbowed him. "Just shut it!" She smiled. "I think I am going to speak with Edmund. There is something I must speak with him about!"

"How come whenever you and I talk, you have to run off to see your brother?" He laughed.

As she ran off, he called after her, cupping a hand next to his mouth, "You are going to have to choose between us!"

Her feet pounded the ground as she jogged up next to Edmund who was on Phillip, who was speaking with Diane. Her brother looked quite peeved, and about to blow a gasket!

Without looking at her, staring off in the distance, most likely at the moment attempting to quell his anger, he growled between clenched teeth, "Lucy, could you _please _ask that horse of yours to find a place at the far back of the group?."

He paused, then added, "_Very _far back."

"Hey!" Diane interjected, throwing her white head up to glare at Edmund. "I am no horse! I am a majestic _pegasus! I _am a direct descendant of-" She began.

"_Yes _we _know! _You have only informed us of this about one _million _times!" the Just King ground out.

Lucy threw her friend an apologetic look, and, grumbling, the horse obeyed and trotted away.

"Thank Aslan! I thought she would _never _shut up!" He breathed.

After a short burst of laughter, she spoke in a more serious tone, "Edmund, might I have a word?"

After Phillip and the rest of the Unit were far enough away, they began.

"Edmund, I noticed something last night. When I was telling you of what happened, something passed over your face. Like recognition." She told him.

He froze.

And that was the only thing she needed to see before flying off on a tangent.

"I knew it! You _are _hiding something from me! Oh, I bet Susan and Peter are in on this to! But _no! _You couldn't tell little ol' _Lucy_! No, no! She's much to young and innocent to know what goes on within her own _country!_"

"Enough, Lucy!" Edmund barked.

"So, what are you keeping from me?" She put her hands on her hips after pushing stray golden strands from her eyes to better scrutinize her brother. She wagered that if she could give him the best glare she could, he would relent. It took more than the "innocent little sister look" in these kinds of situations. She adopted the look Susan gave Peter when she wanted to get information out of him.

To her annoyance, he was prepared. He even looked her right in the eyes! "Lucy, this is none of your concern!"

"None of my- _Edmund! _I am a Queen of Narnia! I share this country with you! Are I not allowed to know what threatens my home?"

Groaning and raking a hand through his blond locks, he hissed, "It's a lot more complicated than you-"

"Lookout!" Someone bellowed.

Edmund and Lucy turned to see people pointing at the sky, and both followed their line of sight.

From the sky, something fell. A blue comet, with iridescent wisps of indigo, navy, and white. It shot down from the heavens and made a high pitched whistling sound as it descended.

"By the Lion..." Edmund breathed.

It disappeared over a nearby mountain and after a few seconds, a giant _**"**__**BOOOOOOM!" **_sounded and the earth shook beneath them.

People fell, their armor clanging. There was shouting behind them, and horses screamed in fear.

Then, giant bits of debris rained down on them from the sky, having fallen not far behind the comet.

And they were coming straight for them.

Edmund grabbed Lucy and pulled her to the ground, covering her head with his arms and chest. She heard the giant boulders crash into the ground like the earth was creating thunder, as loud as Aslan's roar. She counted. three boulders crashed to the ground nearby.

Then, it stopped, and Edmund stood up, offered her his hand, and pulled her up as well.

Her legs were wobbly from the fear that gripped her heart. Even Edmund looked shaken, his brown eyes almost a light chestnut instead of their usual dark brown, and wide. She spied Sender a little ways away rise and rub his head, groaning. His armor had a rather large gash in it. It looked like he'd been struck by a smaller rock but thankfully he was protected by the trusty plate metal.

They evaluated the damage. Thankfully, nobody was seriously injured. Some people were just bruised from the few smaller rocks that hit their arms or legs, which they rubbed with discontented frowns.

"Great." Edmund groaned. He walked over to what remained of two of their four supply wagons. They were flat under a rock.

"Salvage what you can from the wreck here." He ordered some nearby soldiers.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" And they went to work.

He scowled and scratched his head, ruffling the blond locks. "That was half of the needed supplies and rations. That is in no way enough to sustain us for the trip. We are going to have to stop in a town somewhere and hope they have what we need..." He said to himself.

He turned to the sky and called, "Argos! Arion!"

Argos and Arion were the two brother gryphons who were a part of the Unit. Their purpose was to relay information between their group and Peter at Cair Paravel. Arion, the older, was very brave and quick to protect his rulers. His younger brother was more shy, and a pacifist, but loyal to a fault.

They flew through the air, glided, and then dropped, letting their powerful, golden wings beat hard to allow them to slowly descend to the ground. Once they touched the earth, they both bowed deep, their heads at their paws.

"Argos." The younger of the brothers picked up his head. "What does His Majesty desire Argos to do? Say the word and it shall be done." He replied.

"I would like for you to inform my brother, the High King, of this incident and," Edmund reached in his pocket and fished out a letter. Lucy eyed it carefully.

"Deliver this to him as well." He spoke in a low tone, signaling that he did not want Lucy to know of it. Oh, but she had heard him quite clearly.

"As His Majesty commands," He took the letter in his beak and placed it in a bag around his neck. "Argos shall be back in four days time. Argos shall deliver the letter and bring back news from His Majesty the High King."

"Thank you, Argos." The Just replied, and the gryphon was off. His wings beat through the air, kicking up a torrent of dust around him, and then was airborne. Lucy watched him until he disappeared over the horizon, wondering what it would be like to have wings.

She heard a clopping sound behind her and turned to see that the oldest centaur was approaching her. Hence his name, Swiftfrost, he had silvery hair and pale skin, a white coat, and blue eyes. He was an elderly centaur, yet still well built like the rest of his kind. His chapped lips were pressed together and he looked towards the sky as he came to a stop beside her.

"The stars never lie, My Queen." He started. Lucy looked up to the blue sky that hid the twinkling lights from day-dweller view.

"In the quiet of the night before, they arranged themselves to show me images of the future. Strazio, the lord of revenge, and Cain, the lord of betrayal, have come together to create chaos. They foretold the great fall of one their kind as a sign to this destruction. It seems this chain of events is about to begin..." He suddenly walked off, his face peaceful. But he left a frozen Lucy standing there.

_Chaos?! Destruction?!_

She stood there, shivering in fear of what was to come. What had she gotten herself into?

"Lucy?" Sender jogged up to her. She turned to him with fear stricken eyes.

"Lucy, what troubles you?" He stepped forward, concern etched in his face.

Turning away from him, she mused, "I believe a great danger awaits us soon..."

They both looked into the darkness of the forest that swallowed the path in front of them. Inside, shadows lurked, and Lucy couldn't begin to imagine was sort of dark creatures were festering inside, plotting and scheming. What seemed to have been a harmless exploration expedition had turned into something much more serious.

_Narnia, could be in danger._

* * *

"The message has been delivered, My Lord." The voice announced to his master.

**_"Good, good."_ **The thickness of the language was like a python that coiled itself around all of the subordinates within the room.

"It was successful! The Queen trembled in fear and fell!" A second voice cried in glee, his voice dripping with a lust for blood.

_**"Do not revel in this victory. It was hardly one at all. The young Queen is our greatest threat. She is most in tune with Narnia, and is closest to that lion. We must tread carefully in matters concerning her, lest we desire to be destroyed."**_

"My Lord, she is only a child!" the adviser reasoned. "She has no power. She cannot fight."

_**"Did you not hear me? I already explained our reasons for being cautious around her. She may be a naive child, but she can rise up to the occasion if need be."**_

"What do you propose we do about her?" The adviser asked.

"Kill her! Rip her to pieces!" The vicious voice screamed, snapping his jaw and licking his lips, imagining what royal blood tasted like. His desire to kill the child was now like a drug, and he struggled to stay put while waiting for his Lord's orders.

_**"Nothing."**_

The room fell silent.

"Wh-what?" The first voice asked, incredulous.

"My-My Lord!" The adviser stuttered.

"Why?"

_**"Do not fear, my** **children."**_ The dark voice replied. _**"All things to those, who wait."**_

_End Note: A special thanks to the great followers and readers and reviewers who've been making this story worth while! You're all awesome!_

_bookaholic2000: I really appreciate your reviews! Seriously, they've been so helpful to me and I cannot stress enough how thankful I am for your help! Have you considered making a fanfiction acount? If you do, we could send editing messages about the story back and forth without me having to write replies to the reviews in the Author's notes! haha! _

_Until next time!_


	8. Chapter 8

_Author's Note: Welcome back lovely followers! Chapter eight is here!_

**I don't own the Chronicles of Narnia or its characters. I only own my characters and plot!**

Chapter 8

_Dear Peter,_

_I believe this is the appropriate time to send you a message on this mission's progress. Our Unit is fine; built of rookies mostly, but they are loyal. I wish I could say the same for Lucy. She rarely passes up the opportunity to defy me and let me know how much she doesn't like me. It's becoming quite a pain, really. _

_But, moreover, I worry for her. Brother, they have made contact with our little sister. A warning it was, as I gathered from her description. She was quite distraught. The images they showed her were ghastly, terrible images. Something Lucy should have never seen. I fear that they have targeted her, for reasons I am not yet aware._

_And even more peculiar, a comet fell just two miles away from us, as I am sure Argos informed you. Such an occurrence has not happened in centuries in our great nation. And what's worse, the debris crushed two of our four supply wagons! I am afraid we must take a detour to Chippingford and see if they have anything to make up for the lost items needed. I wager we will spend all of this Unit's funds on that single trip! Indeed it is aggravating! _

_But more importantly, our astronomer, Swiftfrost, spoke to me. He told me that the stars aligned themselves to infer great destruction and calamity to Narnia. The comet was supposed to be the first sign of this chain of events. _

_Brother, I fear that going on this trip was not a wise decision. This situation we have been trying to deal with for these past months; the threats and the signs, is getting out of hand. We must discuss a course of action, before it is too late. _

_-Your brother, Edmund_

_Dear Edmund, _

_This is troubling news. Susan and I are very worried; for both our country, and for Lucy. _

_But, I had a vision. It told me that Lucy would be the one to save Narnia from this threat. I do not doubt a sign from Aslan. _

_And that is why I will not plan a course of action. I would like to see how Lucy handles this. Telling her what we know so far is up to you, but it will not matter, for she will figure it out on her own if you don't. _

_If she calls for my help, I will be there for her with whatever she needs to stop this threat. I pray you do the same. But for now, I will not intervene._

_I know that you must believe I am insane for proposing such an idea. I know she is our little sister, but I implore you to understand; Lucy is no longer a child. She is a young woman who has proved many times that she is capable of taking care of herself. I know why you want to protect her, but you must let go of that and push her to succeed. Remember that as she faces this threat that you will be right beside her to help her if she needs it. That alone should ease your mind, but I doubt it. _

_About the supplies, Susan and I will send what we can to Chippingford ahead of you so you do not have to spend all of your funds. And Susan promises to send a few trinkets for Lucy that she believes she is in need of. Girl things, I wager. _

_Press on and continue the mission. Remember that I will always be there to help you when you need it, brother. _

_-With love, Susan and Peter. _

He crumpled the letter up in anger and chucked it into the river beside him. He glared at it as it absorbed the water, became soggy, and finally broke into pieces as the strong current carried it away.

The audacity! Just because of a silly dream, he is willing to send their little sister into the battlefield? Oh, this was no mere battle; not like the ones Lucy sneaked into at the last minute. This was a dangerous conspiracy that had been threatening the royal family for months now. These people were crafty and intelligent. They were masters of deception and dark magic. And Peter believed that Lucy was up for that?

_I do not doubt a sign from Aslan_

The words rung in his head.

How strange.

Aslan, who was supposed to protect Lucy, was sending her on a dangerous mission against one of the most dangerous organizations to arise in Narnia?

_No, you should not speak in such a way about Aslan. _He mentally chided himself.

And yet, it still was a confusing decision. If it were up to him, he would have marched Lucy straight home. He didn't even want her on this mission in the first place.

He sighed. But this was Aslan's will, and even though he had his doubts, he decided to go along with it. He guessed the best he could do was be there for her, as Peter suggested. He was angry, but he would be there for her.

* * *

By nightfall, they were in the thick of the Western Wood.

It had been a few days since that comet fell. They'd passed the Beavers' dam, which was abandoned when the couple moved to Cair Paravel.

Once again, Edmund was more intense than usual. This was the site of his act of treachery against Narnia. He'd left her, Peter, and Susan to travel to the Witch's castle.

Even though she had the deepest remorse and empathy for him, she was also a little fed up. Edmund was nineteen years old. It had been over ten years since he'd made that decision. And he was a mere_ child _at the time! He wasn't experienced or wise enough to reject the false queen's attempts at childish temptations. Aslan, his brother and sisters, and _all _of Narnia had forgiven him. And yet, despite all of this, he felt so guilty. She concluded that she would never understand his reasons for feeling that way, and left it alone. It was still a touchy subject for him. She just wished he would talk to somebody.

They'd past the dam hours ago, and were now miles away. Yet he still seemed angry. Lucy had seen him read the letter and throw it into the river earlier that day. Whatever Peter said made him upset, and she had no doubt that it was about the wolves in the forest.

She was beginning to put all the pieces together. Her brothers and sister keeping secrets, visions of a cataclysmic event, and the stars foretelling Narnia's destruction. There was an enemy out there who was threatening Narnia!

_But who are they? And what is their purpose? _That's what she needed to find out.

_And what then? _Well, she wasn't quite certain of that. It seemed that her 'Most Royal Siblings' were doing a terrible job at containing this threat. Could this be her chance to prove herself?

A devious grin spread like butter across her face and she rubbed her hands together. A plot was forming in her mind.

"Oh, Argos!" She called, her voice dripping with sing-song sweetness. She smirked as Edmund tensed at the voice. She knew that he knew she was up to no good. To her great fortune, he did not turn around and demand to know what sort of no good she was up to.

She listened to the sound of beating wings as the wind crashed against them, and then the light padding of paws, until she turned around to see him walking next to her, bowing.

"Argos is your faithful servant. What do you desire Queen of Narnia? Only say it, and it is yours." He greeted.

She held a hand out to let him know to stop walking. Once they were far enough away from the group, she bent down and whispered into his ear, "Argos, dear friend, I must ask of you a very important favor."

She smiled as his brown eyes lit up with anticipation. Like most of their loyal servants, Argos would jump at the chance to do even the most ridiculous task ordered.

Her eyes searched to the left, and then to the right, before announcing her proposition. "Argos, I would like you to give all letters from High King Peter and Queen Susan to me before you present them to King Edmund."

The gryphon was taken aback. He gulped, his big orbs widening into dark saucers. "B-But Your Majesty! That is- I mean- It is just-" She felt guilty for putting him in such a position. It was confusing. If he did as Lucy said, he would be betraying Edmund. But, if he did not, he would be disobeying direct orders from Lucy. That was the hard thing about serving multiple rulers. Especially rulers who were siblings and sometimes ordered their servants to engage in diabolical plans against each other when they fought.

"It is all right, Argos. I will spare you from my brother's wrath if he should find out. The blame will be on me." She smiled sweetly.

He bowed deep. "Your Majesty's kindness knows no bounds. Alright. Argos shall deliver the letters to you first from now on."

"Thank you."

She rejoined the group later.

The forest was a dark place. It was night now. Lucy loved everything about Narnia, but she couldn't help thinking how nervous the forest made her. Of course, it was made up of friends. The trees and the Narnian animals and even some dwarves made their homes there. But it was what lurked in the shadows that made her fearful. In the night, there was no light to guide her footing. The dirt was loose and shifty. Giant toadstools grew, and wouldn't appear until it was too late and someone had already stumbled over them.

Everyone was looking warily into the dark depths of the forest, where the green foliage faded into a black void. Some people had lamps, lit with fire at sunset. They cast an eerie glow over their narrow, forsaken pathway. The tiniest sound would receive a shriek or yelp in response. They were all on edge. Especially Lucy. It was in a forest like this that she was attacked.

Suddenly, the howl of a wolf floated through the air. It filled the the spaces of the forest with its forlorn song. Everyone tensed at the noise, and Lucy wrapped a hand around Edmund's arm, her brown eyes scanning her surroundings; searching for one of the beasts.

"No need to worry, Lucy." Edmund spoke low, his armor quietly clanking as he walked. "Just stay close."

They kept walking.

Lucy had dropped back to visit Sender after there were no more howls and the forest air only sounded of singing swamp frogs and chattering night bugs.

"Creepy." Her eyes roamed the path that lay ahead. Instead of being able to see the promise that lay ahead, the path lead only to darkness.

"Yes." Sender agreed, also warily searching his surroundings. Lucy noticed that his hand was ghosting around the hilt of his sword. At the smallest of unusual sounds, he'd grip it tightly before letting go when he was sure it was nothing. Lucy never saw him as being threatening. He wasn't the warrior type. But he looked fearsome now. Just a bit. And he looked to be quite serious with that sword.

"I do not remember these woods to be so...dark." She mused, pushing a stray hair behind her ear and then tugging at the sleeves of her tunic in nervousness.

"It _is_ night." He smirked, glancing sideways to eye her.

But she was in no joking mood. "I remember it in the winter. How cold and dead it was. But not dangerous. That was so many years ago. Later, I came out here once during a trip with Peter. It was so full of life then." She wrapped her arms around herself tightly and shivered. "Something is wrong. I can feel it." She whispered.

Sender looked toward the path, most likely wondering what was waiting for them ahead just as she was.

Then, a cold wind swept through the woods. It rushed through the trees, making them hiss. It wrapped around her like an icy hand, and her golden hair whipped to the side.

Then, all the lamps went out.

There was an uproar. She could hear but she could not see a thing. People were shouting at each other; some angry and some scared.

"Calm yourselves! Light the lamps!" She heard her brother's voice boom.

"Lucy!" Sender's voice was suddenly far away.

"Sender! Where are you?" She raised her hands and held them out to protect herself. She was surrounded in a black void. She felt dizzy, as she had no idea how far or near people or things were from her.

His voice got quieter as he moved away, and her heart tugged painfully in her chest. The Unit still was an uproar of shouting. She bumped into something fury, and tripped on something hard.

Once again, the poison of fear shot through her system. This time, it targeted her lungs. They clenched agonizingly and felt like they were shriveling up. She couldn't breathe. She was panicking.

"Sender!" She called. Her heart leaped into her throat when only a croak came out. She couldn't call for help!

So she continued to walk blindly through the endless darkness.

"Lucy, look out!"

A hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her away from where she was standing. Somewhere near and below her there was the sound of boulders falling into a large hole.

Suddenly, the lights were on and she looked down.

She'd almost fallen into a large quarry. She would have died.

She turned to Sender. He had both of his hands on her hips and her hands rested on his metal chest plate.

"Are you alright?" He asked, his eyes dark with concern as he moved his hands to grab her upper arms tightly.

"Y-yes.." She pried herself from his grip. She shot him a peculiar look. "But how did you-"

"Lucy!" they turned to Edmund's worried call.

She gave him a longing look, really wanting him to answer her question, but after a second call of her name, she jogged off to meet her brother.

_It was pitch black out there. How did he even see the quarry? How did he see _me_?_

Lucy was beginning to wonder about her new friend.

_Who _is_ Sender?_

_End Note: Please R&R!_


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's Note: HI! I'm back! Well now, it's been a while, hasn't it? During the week or so since I last updated I did some soul searching and thought about what I wanted to do with the story. I have found my answers, and now I'm back! A little bit of a warning; this chapter is pretty gory so watch out! _

**And as always, I do not own the Chronicles of Narnia or its characters. I only own my characters and plot!**

_Chapter 9_

The next day was expected to be uneventful. They were still in the thick of the woods. She had to admit, in the daylight, the forest was a much more pleasant place. Sunlight filtered through the thick, green canopy and sent files of light to plunge into the earth. In those spots of light, dust and spores danced and sparkled like fairy dust. The path was quiet and peaceful, though small and rundown. Not many travelers came through there. There were no major cities, so there were no trading opportunities. And rumor had it, the Western Woods made those who ventured too far within it's shadows disappear. So this part of her homeland was pure wilderness. She was used to constantly being in civilization. She was always in the company of others, and she lived in the city. So a place with no buildings or technologies was a little bit of a shock to her. But it was a good shock. She was enthralled by the soft spoken beauty of nature. She loved the ruggedness of it. No confining dresses that were made of such fine and expensive silk that she was not allowed outside so to avoid the chance of ruining it. No etiquette to remember when in the presence of others. No more being watched by courtly officials from foreign places, searching for any mistake they could use against her and her siblings when the time was necessary. She was free. It wasn't that she hated being Queen. In fact, she absolutely loved it. It was just difficult sometimes; when all eyes were on her.

"Hold on." She ran into the arm of her brother, who was looking off to the right, his eyes searching. The light of confusion shown in their dark depths.

"What is it?" she whispered. The entire Unit stopped in their tracks and a gravely silence fell over them. After the events of the night before, all were wary.

"By the Lion!" Sender, who'd come to rest beside her, breathed.

Lucy followed their gazes. Over the treetops, on top of a rocky hill, stood a small tower. Well, it was more of a...blob. It was carelessly built, leaned to the left, and looked fairly old and used. It was nothing Lucy had ever seen. She lived in Cair Paravel. The building itself was a work of art from it's moldings to it's dungeons. But this tower looked to be quite old. As if built by ancient nomads from long ago that Lucy remembered reading about in a book somewhere at some school as a child. A light dusting of moss covered the damp, gray stones, making it appear even more decrepit. The windows were lopsided and too small.

"Be careful," Edmund hissed to Lucy. "Those windows are small for a reason. To allow archers to shoot at intruders."

She nodded in affirmative and glared up at the now threatening building. "Do you think there are people still in there?" she inquired softly.

"Maybe," he grunted. "Probably a bandits' hideout," he assessed.

"It is not safe to approach it and find out." She tugged on his elbow. "We should leave it be. Come away now."

But he shrugged her off and stepped forward towards the building, his dark eyes still keenly observing it. "And it would be safer to dispose of them first instead of waiting for them to attack us later."

The Valiant shook her head. "Edmund, you are not known for your brashness," she began.

"I am known for my justice, I_ know_ that!" he drawled, using his matter-of-fact tone that drove her insane.

Taking a calm, cleansing breath before she could punch him, she replied, "And justice comes _after _a crime is committed. These people - if there _are_ any in there and if they even _are_ bandits - have not yet carried out such an act." She gave herself a mental pat on the back. She was quite impressed with her mature reasoning. She'd just proven to herself what a great ruler she was. _A job well done, Lucy. A job well done._

"I do not want to wait for them to injure our entire Unit to deal out my justice. It would be safer just to make sure." And then he was off, his sword slicing through the thick brush as he dove deeper into the shadows of the forest. Lucy moved closer to Sender, anxious about this decision. She didn't understand what was wrong with her older brother. Edmund always, _always, _chose the peaceful route. Unlike Peter, he took a step back to assess a situation with a level head and a fair mind. So why was he so bent on being the first to attack? Why was he so on guard this entire trip? The real Edmund strode into Court with some sarcastic quip that had everybody rolling on the floor laughing. The real Edmund was calm and intelligent. This Edmund was different. He was dark, and protective and on guard all the time. _Why is he like this? _That was the one question that had been bouncing against the walls of her mind since the day they left. And she _knew _it had something to do with the people threatening Narnia. They were still out there, and Edmund was worried that they would attack the Unit at any moment. So what was it that he needed to protect so much? What did those people want that they had?

When he heard no shuffling feet behind him, he turned and barked, "Well? Come on, then! We have a schedule to keep!"

The whole group jolted to life and jogged after their King, casting worried glances into the shadows of the forest, fearing of the dark creatures created from their own imaginations.

All twenty-eight of the soldiers crashed through the thick vegetation and into the clearing. They stopped and stared up at the tower. It was about five stories high, and looked as if it were about to fall on them it was leaning at such a deep angle. They all fell silent. They were only fifteen feet away from the front door. They listened for activity. For footsteps. For a voice.

When they heard nothing, Edmund motioned for them to follow him, but then paused and turned to Lucy. "Stay here," he ordered.

Lucy threw her head back and chuckled as quietly as possible. "Not a chance." She smiled and unsheathed her sword. "I am coming in. I will watch your back, and before you tell me that it is for my own protection, you are going to watch my back as well."

Edmund seemed satisfied with this agreement - _Thank Aslan! _- and they finally moved forward. They crept over to the door, with Edmund leading followed by Lucy and then Sender. They walked up the crumbling stone steps and finally reached the door. Lucy's heart danced in her throat and hot prickles of fear poked her temples as she waited for her brother to open it so they could find out what kind of people lived inside. The possibility of danger was imminent. She tested the grip of her sword in her hands, making sure she was ready to use it if she had to.

She remembered then, to go over her battle preparations. She slowed her breath and quieted it, taking in oxygen and breathing it out in even measures. She extended her senses. Her awareness reached farther around her. She could hear the tiniest sounds, such as a raindrop falling into a small puddle. She could feel the leather wrapped around her sword handle grip to her skin. She felt the pounding hearts of the soldiers around her. Time slowed down as she watched Edmund slowly push open the door.

Everything returned to normal when he stepped inside with great speed, his sword pointed out in defense. They waited a few agonizing moments for him to return. He did, and motioned for them to follow.

The inside was dark. Very dark. There were no decorations or anything. Just a few rotting tables here and there and old, moth-eaten books and papers strewn over them and the floor. To the right was a wall, but to the left was a weak looking staircase. They took to the stairs.

Behind them and below, someone took a step and the wood broke under their weight. The fawn let out a terrified yelp and he was sent to the floor. Lucy gasped as she witnessed a bone piercing his leg as it met the stone. She was about to turn towards him, reaching for her cordial that was strapped to her belt, when a low growl sounded from the room above and echoed off of the dripping stone walls.

They all held their breaths, hearts arresting, and looked up.

A dark figure of something tall was waiting for them at the top of the stairs. Its huge head hung under its hunched back. It towered at six feet. The growling was coming from it.

One of the soldiers gasped and swung their torch towards it. The golden light illuminated the creature, revealing to all its true form. It bore strong, sharp canines that were bared as it snarled. Its legs were short, and bent like the back legs of a dog. Its arms though, were incredibly long. So long, it leaned on its knuckles for support. At the ends of its fingers were long, black claws that curved. Curved to rip out flesh. Every muscle was visible. In its arms, its legs, its stomach and chest. This creature was built for power. And it was hairy. Thin, gray strands stood on end and its tail was out straight to show it was on the attack.

It was a werewolf. But none like she'd ever seen. The ones she saw as a child, during the Age of Winter, were smaller. But this one; it was _monstrous. _

And that's when everything fell apart into chaos.

The creature lunged and the entire Unit broke into a chorus of terrified yelps. The monster crashed down the stairs, breaking their only way down completely and bringing with it a fourth of their soldiers to fight it. Lucy looked down as they desperately fought for their lives against the beast. She sighed though, as Octans had been pulled down as well and was guiding them. He was a seasoned warrior. He would aid them.

Her heart skipped a beat at the sound of a pained cry coming from the front of the group. Another werewolf had appeared. And it had Edmund pinned.

He was desperately trying to reach his sword, but the white werewolf simply pushed it away. The creature could pin her older brother with only one hand! It snarled and opened its saliva-coated jaws in front of the Just King's face, poised to bite.

"Sender!" Lucy cried, and the young soldier responded.

And was he fast! And strong! Suddenly this meek looking fellow had sprinted up to the beast, raised his sword, and sent a powerful blow to the neck, roaring like a true warrior. The creature in turn shrieked in pain, for the weapon had only decapitated it half-way. Lucy turned away and pressed herself against the cold wall at the sight of the creature in such gory pain, its insides and flowing blood etching into her mind. She heard Sender's second shout as he swung again, and a last yelp from it signaled it's death.

Lucy turned back, making sure to keep her eyes off of the still creature, to see Edmund grab Sender's outstretched hand. Her friend pulled him up and Edmund breathed, "Thank you."

His eyes searched the room wildly. "Lucy? Lucy!"

"Here!" Lucy called back and jogged over to him. "I'm here!"

"I need you to get out of here!" His voice boomed over the clangs of metal, the shouts of enraged fighters, the cries of pain, and the snarls of werewolves.

Lucy swung her arm out in a big arc, motioning to the destroyed staircase. "There is no way I can! And anyways," She paused at the low growling coming from the next floor. "you need me to help you clear this place out!"

They all sprinted up the next flight of stairs to find two more werewolves.

"Looks like they've got a nice, big, happy family," Edmund deadpanned. So he found_ this_ the best time to finally say something sarcastic?

Edmund, Sender, and Lucy targeted one, while the rest of the soldiers fought the other one. The three circled it, mimicking a pack of wolves.

"Hey!" Sender called, and the beast responded by turning to him, but stayed in position for fear of attack from Edmund and Lucy. Getting the idea, the two siblings copied him.

"Over here!"

"Look at me!"

"Hey!" Lucy shouted. And they were in the perfect place. They'd backed the creature into a corner. Edmund and Sender pierced their swords into its stomach and that was one more down.

They reached the forth and fifth floors and cleared those out as well. The only place left was the rooftop.

There was only Lucy, Edmund, and Sender left, the others still busy fighting, and they climbed that last set of stairs. They stopped dead at what they saw.

A blue orb was floating a foot above the floor. It circled, and cast an eerie light over them and the one last werewolf waiting for them. From it, some strange pressure came over them, like a weight was being placed on their shoulders.

"What in Aslan's name is _that__?" _Edmund breathed.

This last one was taller, and looked stronger. It pushed off of its knuckles and stood on its legs, its hunched back stretching out. This was dangerous. The creature could use both of it's paws at will. A bipedal being was more intelligent. It proved that by speaking.

"Turn back from whence you came false King and Queen. Lest you desire your hearts to be filled with dread." He spoke in such a strange accent. It was like his tongue was stuck to the roof of it's mouth or something.

"Such words are to be expected when coming from a traitor like you." Edmund stepped forward, sword in a defensive position.

"Traitor? No, no. I am no traitor. It is _you_ who is the traitor," the werewolf replied.

Edmund took a step back. Traitor was a sensitive word for him. "And what gives _you _the right to say that to your King?" he uttered, rage spilling out with every word.

The werewolf, unlike his predecessors on the previous floors who were quick to attack, simply blinked and replied, "You are not my king. If you must know, you and your sisters and brother are traitorous for betraying our Queen."

"The White Witch!" Lucy gasped. Sender snapped a hand out and gripped her upper arm tightly.

"I am not going to waist my time debating our opinions. Your kind is so far gone you cannot be saved," her brother snarled, his lips curling in disgust. He then swung his sword out and pointed it towards the beast. "I will slay you where you stand, monster."

"Edmund!" Lucy cried. Her brother tensed and inclined his head slightly to the side. She watched his back, unable to see his face.

Looking around desperately as if to find what to say elsewhere, she blurted, "This is not our way!" The werewolf blinked at her, his intelligent eyes boring into her own. "We do not execute without trial!" she explained.

"This is war, Lucy."

And the sword was in the wolf's neck.

The creature let a scream of pain rip out of it's mouth, but it was strangled by the hot red blood pouring down his throat and filling his lungs. He staggered from side to side, pivoting on his short hind legs. His long arms grasped blindly at the handle of the blade and pulled it out, sending a waterfall of red liquid down his neck. He lifted his head towards the sky, his eyes filled with fear. But strangely, as he looked, he saw something. He opened it's mouth to gasp, but his eyes glazed over and he tumbled over the edge of the tower. A few seconds past, and the soft thudding sounded below, his crunching bones echoing over the treetops.

Lucy breathed heavily, gasping for air as if she had just ran across Narnia without stop. Sender gripped her arm and wrapped a hand around her shoulders for support as her knees wobbled slightly. Her chestnut eyes bored into her brother's back.

"Edmund," Lucy growled low in anger.

Edmund merely stepped over the shining pool of thick blood and made his way towards the blue orb.

"Stay away from that, Edmund," Lucy warned. "We have no idea what it is."

Of course, he didn't listen to her, and reached a tentative hand out. His fingers brushed the orb. The second his skin made contact with it, the orb exploded in a blinding light. Sender wrapped his arms tightly around her and they turned their heads away, shielding their eyes.

The light receded and they looked back.

When she first started this mission, Lucy wouldn't have come close to guessing what she saw right then.

In Edmund's arms, was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen, unconscious. Her skin was porcelain white, but it shimmered like stardust. Her hair was like snow, and flowed down her shoulders in soft curls like milk. Her large eyes were closed, her long, long lashes brushing the swells of her cheeks. She wore a simple white dress with a hem that reached her feet. She looked to be about eighteen or so.

"Aslan's mane!" Sender breathed.

That woman came from the orb of light.

_End Note: Well now! That was an intense chapter! Let me know what you think!_

_River4Jayne: THANK YOU! _

_bookaholic2000: I totally respect everybody's religion! There's no discrimination here! I know it must be so hard for you readers to be reading and trying to figure out who Sender really is. I know who he is and I keep forgetting how awful it must be for you to be kept in the dark! But I must be cruel and say that you must wait a little longer! I'm sorry! But what's a story without a little mystery? Thanks!_

_A: Thanks for the review! I really work hard to make the language and the setting true to the Chronicles of Narnia. _

_Until next time!_


	10. Chapter 10

_Author's Note: Could it be? Is it even possible? I can't believe my eyes! It's a **New **Chapter! _

_I'M ALIVE, ALL! BAHAHA! _

_In case you were wondering, school started, and I lost all my time. Homework and after school activities ate up my life. But I finally found some time to crank out this chapter. That's my excuse. I bet you'll all yell at me. I hope you didn't forget about little ol' me! Or what the heck this story's about! _

They'd made camp near the tower that night. Caring for the young woman was of the utmost importance to Lucy and Edmund. She was brought immediately to Autumnburst, who used her nimble hands to expertly tend to the the mysterious new-comer's needs. At the moment, the siblings were hovering outside the medical tent; Lucy leaning lazily and rather unlike a lady against a poll and Edmund as rigid as stone and staring off into the distance. It had been a tiring day. Surprises seemed to wait around every corner lately. Dream like wolf packs, cursed forests, giant werewolves, orbs of light, strange women falling unconscious; what next? Lucy knew that it came from the enemy that threatened Narnia, she just had a hard time believing it. It was just so _bizarre. _How did any of it connect? They were all just random.

There was a rustling and the tired rulers looked up to see the healer walk out of the tent, her hooves digging into the dirt with her weight. She pushed a flaming strand of hair away from her face and bowed deeply. "Your Majesties," she said. "The young woman is now conscious. It may be the proper time to speak with her."

"Thank you, Autumnburst." Edmund nodded in her direction and she walked off towards the other centaurs she had come to know.

They both approached the door and stopped. Lucy looked to Edmund, who merely nodded, and they stepped through.

The young woman was still in her fine silk dress. She sat in a hammock, a nest of blankets surrounding her. It was the first time Lucy had seen her eyes open; and they were a gleaming silver with flecks of white. They looked like they had pools of stardust swirling within them. They were wide as they observed the two people approaching her; as if she was afraid of them. It was a surprise to Lucy, since no Narnian, or person for that matter, was feared them. The Pevensie siblings had made their gentle but just rule known throughout the world.

Edmund bowed, one hand folded behind his back and one in front of him. This prompted Lucy to curtsy. She noticed how difficult it was to do so without a dress. But that wasn't important.

"I hope you have been well taken care of, Lady..." His dark, dark eyes rose to look at her, questioning. And Lucy could have sworn she saw something else flicker in them. Something quite strange.

"Araceli." Her voice was like bells. _What a peculiar name. At least she still has her memory though. _

Lucy smiled. "It is an honor to meet you Lady Araceli." Years of etiquette training kicked in. "May we introduce ourselves? I am Queen Lucy of Narnia, and my brother-"

"I am King Edmund." He stepped forward.

Araceli nodded, recognition twinkling in her eyes, and flashed them a brilliant white smile. "I know who you are, King and Queen of Narnia. I have watched you from afar since you came to this land from your own."

Both monarchs straightened in confusion. "Watched?" Lucy inquired, somewhat nervous, which gave her a discreet elbow in the ribs by her brother. She tried not to dwell to much on the fact that she didn't quite remember what land she came from.

"Yes," she said. She looked up towards the ceiling. "I am a star." Her rose lips spread into a blissful smile; the smile that came with memories. But it slowly fell as she tilted her head back down to peer at the young rulers.

"We have only heard tell of your kind. You only come down once every few centuries," Lucy began. "So what brings you to us?" Lucy knew that the arrival of a being so elusive only meant trouble. Stars were the first creatures created by Aslan, and they remained in the sky to watch over those that made their home on the soil. They only came down for two reasons. The first, was when a star committed a crime. Aslan would give the celestial being a mortal body and they would repay their debt to him in whatever way he deemed necessary. The second was when a star was so old it had to come down to regain their energy. Araceli was not in the least bit old and she didn't seem like one to commit a crime. A star only came down for those reasons. If they were on the ground because of something else, it meant that these were odd circumstances.

"I have fallen," she spoke. "I do not know why, but I could no longer stay in the heavens. I crystallized and fell to the earth."

"The meteor!" Lucy breathed. She turned to look at Edmund, who stared fixedly on Araceli, waiting for her to continue.

"Then, creatures came and used their tools to mine me from the burned rock. I could not fight, for I was still within the crystal. They took me to a tower and I was held there. They were going to transport me to a place called Cauldron Pool."

Lucy and Edmund nodded, recognizing the place. "Did you find out what they were planning to do with you?" Edmund asked.

The young woman shook her head. "Unfortunately I did not, Your Majesties. I am just as confused as you are." She looked away solemnly.

"There is no need to fret, Lady Araceli. My sister and I will get to the bottom of this." Lucy wasn't going to say out loud how much her heart soared at her brother's words. He was going to allow her to help! They'd be a team again!

"Please continue to rest," Lucy smiled warmly. "You must not worry about a thing."

"Your kindness and hospitality are limitless, Your Majesties. I do not know how I can repay you." She bowed, silky white hair pouring down her shoulders.

"You can repay us by resting up!" The Valiant chirped, gaining her a surprised look from the young star before skipping out of the tent.

Her brother stayed behind for some reason, but she didn't mind waiting.

Suddenly, she heard the beating of wings pound the air and soon, Argos was bowed before her, a letter in his beak.

She reached a tentative hand out and plucked the letter from his mouth. She beheld it with wide eyes, knowing full well that what she was about to to do was wrong. Scrawled on the back of the letter was Peter's almost unreadable handwriting. Under it, was Susan's attempt at it, decorated with perfect loops and swirls. They both said one name. Edmund. Not Lucy.

But whatever was in that letter was going to give her all of the answers. If nobody was going to tell her, she'd find out for herself.

Inhaling a big puff of air, inflating her chest, she cringed as she ripped the paper to shreds and salvaged the letter...

_Dear Edmund,_

_I made sure to reply to your letter within the night it arrived, using my quickest messengers. I do hope it reaches you._

_ This woman may be the key to the weapon the werewolf terrorist group who call themselves Tenebris Circuli have claimed to own and threatened to use against us. A group which the Calormenes have supported. Edmund, these people have surrounded the city and have put Cair Paravel on lock down. Nobody can get in or out. Susan and I are doing all that we can but all of our troops are scattered throughout the country and we have no way to communicate with them. Our most trusted and skilled royal guards are being overwhelmed. This letter was my only way of speaking to anybody outside of the city. My messenger, unfortunately, was killed after he passed this letter on to the next messenger. I hope that this helps you understand the situation we are in. You cannot come home with her. Please press on. I implore you to attack the heart of these menaces. Maybe that will alleviate the situation. Do not forget to let Lucy aid you. Lo, I regret that I must leave. They are trying to infiltrate the Cair. Be safe. _

_Peter and Susan_

Lucy almost dropped the letter onto the filthy dirt.

Tenebris Circuli?

Cair Paravel on lock down?

People getting killed?

Argos promptly stalked away to give his queen space, though he did not know of what was in the letter.

Lucy was short of breath. She was floored by how something so easy; something done automatically by instinct without her knowing, could be so hard in an instant. Only wisps of air escaped her lips.

She felt a rush of weakness as her stomach plummeted to her feet. She suddenly felt like retching.

She continued to stay frozen as Edmund finally strode out of the tent to meet her.

"Lucy, I was thinking..." His pause suggested that he saw the state that she was in. "Lu...Are you alright?" He asked warily.

She turned her terrified brown gaze to his confused orbs. Then his eyes dropped down to the letter hanging loosely in her grasp.

With surprising speed, a similar fear flashing across his features, he snagged the letter and read it. After finishing, he looked up and focused on something far away, an unreadable expression etched on his face.

"What now?" she murmured.

He gulped. "I- I don't know."

"I...I think we should do as Peter says..." She trailed off.

There was a pause.

"You stole my letter." His eyes still looked far off. Strangely, that scared Lucy more than his blatant rage.

"I had no choice." She uttered.

Edmund threw the letter to the ground and roughly turned towards her. "Why?"

Finally, her suppressed anger exploded and circled in her chest like a torrent of frightened bats. But in a much more explosive and fearsome way.

She jabbed a finger at his chest. "Why didn't you tell me anything of this?! This _Tenebris Circuli_?!"

His eyes narrowed and darkened. "You think I am a liar?" He snarled.

Lucy threw her hands in the air and exclaimed a mighty, "_Yes_!" She rounded on him again and squared her shoulders. "You have known about this the entire time! This letter _proves _it!"

She stared up at him. Even though he was a head taller than her and wearing the most terrifying and rage filled glare she'd ever seen grace his features before, she was not afraid. Why would she be afraid when her anger made her brave?

Suddenly Edmund circled his hand around her upper arm and yanked her away, walking swiftly to a private location.

"Let me go, Edmund!" Lucy barked, drawing confused glances from their subordinates. He didn't care, and marched on.

They entered a supply tent and he finally let her go. She stumbled forward and regained her balance, rubbing her most-likely bruised arm discontentedly. "Ow Edmund!" She grumbled, golden brows knitted together.

"Oh, stop being a baby!" Her brother huffed, crossing his arms.

"So?" Lucy began, tapping her foot impatiently. "Are you going to explain yourself?"

A hand flew up to knead the skin on the bridge of his nose as he let a frustrated growl escape his lips. While he did this, he flopped unceremoniously onto a crate of supplies and leaned forward. His shoulders were bearing an invisible, ten ton weight. But Lucy didn't care. Not this time. She wanted answers.

"Why did you keep this a secret?" She pressed him again.

A pause.

Her impatience made her an erupting volcano that was plugged. "Hello? Is anybody home?" She placed her hands on her hips and glared.

Another pause.

"I..." He began.

Her heart hung on the edge of a cliff.

"Spit it out, Ed!"

"I had to protect you." He mumbled.

Lucy threw her hands up in the air and shifted her weight to whirl around in a circle. "Oh! Well that is just great!"

She rounded on him. "But the fact is, _I have no need for your protection!" _

Edmund stood to face her. "Yes. You. Do." He enunciated.

Lucy crossed her arms and huffed. How irritating! Edmund was so stubborn! It was like trying to walk through a wall.

"I can take care of myself just fine! I have gone through all of the training required for a knight of the Most Noble Order of the Lion!" She countered. (Though she was declined a place there, the fools!)

Edmund didn't hesitate at her flawless argument. He was too stubborn to see logic.

But that was the thing. Edmund always did the logical thing. It was _Peter_ who was stubborn. And it was _Edmund_ who always had the patience and level head to show him the right way. This entire trip confused Lucy to no end. Since that night at the ball, Edmund changed into a stubborn, over-protective brute. Come to think of it, he started being that way right around the time the Tenebris Circuli threatened Narnia...

"I cannot afford to take that kind of risk," he answered with confidence.

"But _why?_" she cried.

Edmund looked stunned at her question. It seemed simple enough.

She searched around her as if a way to further explain this was physically somewhere else.

"Why is it so important that I am safe?" Yes. She understood that she was his sister. She would have given her life to protect him, and Peter, and Susan. They were all that close. But Edmund was taking it way overboard. And even after Peter had asked him to let her help him.

"Why? Why, why, _why?_"

"..."

She regarded him with a wild, desperate stare.

"...Do you really want to know?"

She straightened. "Is it not obvious?" she snapped.

"I betrayed you."

Lucy groaned. Not this again!

"Are you kidding me-" He held up a hand to silence her.

"I was so cruel to you. When we came to Narnia, and I knew it was real, I ridiculed you and called you a liar." Lucy couldn't believe he remembered all of that. She certainly didn't. The memories of when they first came to their kingdom were like ghosts. They stalked through her thoughts and haunted her dreams. But before she could identify them, they would whisk away from her reach.

She let him continue.

"And then, I was such a beast to you and Peter and Susan right up to when we met the Beavers." His voice changed as he went on, revealing more pent up emotion and rising like the molten swells of lava.

"And after that, I left! I just took off and sided with the one person who wanted to kill you all! Just so _I_ could be king and not Peter!"

The power in his voice made her flinch back. Here she was, subject to all of his emotions in their purest form. The Edmund she was used to, before the Unit set off, was calm and reserved. He dealt with his emotions alone.

"I was such a coward! I betrayed you, was cruel to you, and then left you! And what if we failed to defeat the white witch?" He cried, eyes wild. But Lucy had no doubt that they and Aslan would have defeated her. There was no other alternative ending to that story. No matter what could have happened, they would have risen up and saved Narnia. And Edmund was not the villain of that story. He was a hero in the end.

"You were only a child." She whispered.

"It does not matter." Edmund growled, turning away.

"Ever since, I have been waiting for an opportunity to make it all up to you." His voice was quiet again. "We have been in such peaceful times, I feared that I would never get to redeem myself."

Lucy strode confidently towards him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Edmund," she stared. He kept his back to her, and did not turn to meet her blazing chestnut eyes.

"You do not need to prove yourself to me. I have forgiven you."

He did not speak. He did not believe her.

"But, I can see you have not forgiven yourself." She sighed and let him go. "This is not about redeeming yourself to me. This is about regaining your honor."

She smirked. "And I guess I have to leave you alone while you figure that out. You men and your honor! I do not see what the big deal is!" She tried to alleviate the tension. But Edmund would have none of it, and remained deathly quiet.

She frowned. "But," He tensed at that. "you will have to let me go. If you are that worried about my safety, instead of taking a million precautions, make a vow that you will aid me when I actually get in trouble. You are right. We are no longer in peaceful times. And we as rulers have a duty to work together to make things right again. That means we have to become a team. And that also means that you will have to stop babying me."

She lifted her chin and scowled. "If you want to be a true king, you will have to sacrifice your own spiritual needs when your duty calls you. You must cast aside your doubts, your fears, your self-hatred. Those will only chain you down and slow your sword. If you truly want to protect me, and the people of Narnia, you must let it all go. That is the true duty of a king." She finished.

Her golden words were lifted up on pedestals of alabaster. They rang so true that they reverberated off of the cloth walls of the tent.

She waited for him. She didn't know how he would react.

"Shall we meet with Octans do discuss our plan of action?" He turned his head ever so slightly so she could glimpse a dark eye hidden under locks of gold.

Happiness lifted her off of her feet at his words. She smiled wide, her heart soaring. She nodded.

"Yes."

_End Note: Done! What did you think! I'm preparing for the onslaught of G.U.M corrections! haha! _


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